Hierarchy
by Queen of Juiceboxes
Summary: At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. IchiRuki. COMPLETE!
1. Prologue:  Misleading

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Ok guys, I have this bad tendency to start fics, and then delete them, and I really don't want that to happen for this, because I've been wanting to write something like this. So please review!! The reason I lose interest in stories is because people don't review to them, which I assume is because my stories aren't that good… So please read and tell me your thoughts!

I like to call this an office fic, because everything (well not everything) happens at a corporation. Just read and you'll understand :)

**Hierarchy**

**Prologue: Misleading**

Her fingernails tapped nervously on her small and ordinary office desk. "Come on, come on." She whispered.

It was 5:29, and in one minute, she would be free to leave her hell hole, and travel far away. "Home, I want to go home." She sort of wished she wore red ruby slippers to tap them three times.

The minute she heard lots of bustling and talking, Kuchiki Rukia stood, and slung her bag over her arm. The hallways were pretty crowded, but Rukia was small and good at weaving when needed.

Seireitei Inc. had a lot to offer a 23 year old, experience, respect, gratitude, but now, as she had only been working for the corporation for a good two months, no, she was definitely not liking how things were going.

After avoiding just about every person Rukia could remember, she opened the door to leave. Even her boss hadn't managed to catch her eye. Honestly, she had never met such a man, and she hoped there would never be another one like him.

Two Aizen Sousukes might create a World War III. Rukia actually shuddered at the mere thought.

"Already off?" Renji asked. Rukia kept her eyes forward, keeping her peripheral vision out for any strange hair colors that could destroy her path. "Yes." She replied quickly.

The door finally came into view, and she smiled. "You seem pretty anxious." Renji muttered humorously. "Yes." Rukia replied again. Renji didn't act too surprised either.

Rukia always acted that way, in a rush. He chuckled slightly as he walked next to the woman that barely reached his shoulder.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked. Rukia snapped away from her attention for the door and sighed. "Stuff." She replied. "Well look, I'm going to see this band tonight, and I have two tickets —"

"Really Renji, I'm extremely busy." She didn't look at Renji's face, but she knew he wouldn't give up just yet.

"You're not busy, so stop lying to me. I would rather you say you don't like me than your _busy_." Rukia rolled her eyes, looking ahead to see who blocked her from the doorway.

"Fine, I don't like you." Renji laughed a little, and sighed. "You're hopeless you know?" Rukia smiled. "I'm not hopeless, just not interested." Renji didn't laugh, and Rukia finally made her move to walk out the exit door.

She felt a little bad for saying such harsh things to the guy, but she was sick of him always offering. Rukia figured after the fifth time of saying no that Renji would get it, so she finally went with the cold approach.

Hopefully, it worked.

Her fingers finally touched the handle to the door, and as her hands began to push onto the doorway, a hand fell onto her shoulder.

"Renji, I told you —" She quickly turned around, and wished she hadn't.

"Rukia-san, I wanted to have a word with you before you left." Rukia looked outside the door, actually considering shaking her head no and walking out, but after quickly remembering who the person was before her, she simply nodded and pulled away from the eager crowd of leaving employees.

As the two walked further back into the building, Rukia fought the urge to sigh rudely. She wanted to go home, she needed to. There was a big barrel of ice cream she had bought from the night before, and she could hear it calling her name.

They turned down a hallway and walked into a designated office, one of the biggest, Rukia might add, of the entire corporation.

"What is it you wanted to ask me about Kurosaki-san?" Rukia asked politely, trying not to stare at his head of flames. Kurosaki Ichigo didn't move from the spot in front of his desk.

"I wanted to ask you about your last report." Rukia cringed slightly. What had she done wrong? "Yes, what about it?" She asked calmly, as if she didn't know what he spoke of.

"The graphing was completely inaccurate, so I'll need you to redo the entire report." Were his cold and cutting words.

"And I'll need it by nine tomorrow morning. Yamamoto's coming in, so we need all the reports done." For a second, Rukia actually thought everything was just a sick and twisted joke.

But once again, she remembered that Kurosaki Ichigo didn't laugh, didn't smile and act polite, he only got straight to business, not giving a care in the world to how other's below himself felt.

"Of course Kurosaki-san, I'll have it here." After he nodded, Rukia bowed and left the room, nearly power walking to exit. She hoped that no one would bother to say a single word to her; otherwise they might get a large bruise to the eye.

Rukia was furious, pissed, angry, whatever people wanted to call it.

She didn't even bother calling for a taxi. She needed to release her steam, or she might end up rambling onto whoever the poor taxi driver was.

People gave her weird looks, and she didn't care. Rukia hoped they would look at her so that she could glare angrily back. "How dare he!" She whispered furiously. It amazed her at how one man could infuriate her with the smallest amount of words.

Even Renji, a guy that never knew when to shut up, rarely got her ticking the way Kurosaki Ichigo did.

Rukia's apartment approached much too quickly, and when she unlocked the door to her shabby little home, she slammed the door closed, causing her home living room to shake.

"How am I supposed to type this entire report all over? I double checked everything!" She chunked her bag down, hoping nothing broke.

And finally, Rukia sank into her soft and luxurious couch, taking an extremely deep breath. The day had been horrible, and now, the weekend she had so longed for was practically ruined because of one stupid report.

"I should just quit." She muttered negatively. Nobody, minus Renji, would miss her. It would be easy. Rukia would walk in, hand over her two weeks notice, smile politely, and walk out. Heck, she wouldn't even have to see that devil of a human being, but Aizen Sousuke, smiling kindly.

She gritted her teeth as her brother's face popped into her brain. _"Rukia, the business world calls to you." _

If Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't the success she knew him to be, than Rukia would have quit the first day of walking into Seireitei Inc.

"Alright, should I one, get the report done without any sort of break at all or two, have a break now, and then start the report later?" She asked herself. Rukia knew her best option was to go with choice one, but sitting down, just for an hour or so, sounded like heaven.

Agreeing mentally with herself, Rukia stood and walked to her black refrigerator. She pulled out a frozen lasagna dinner and threw it in the microwave. "I worked on that report for three days straight." She muttered as she walked from the kitchen to the living room.

Rukia plopped onto the couch again and turned her TV on. Just as she began to channel surf, her phone rang.

"Hello? Renji? No, I can't. I already told you, I'm busy and this time, I mean it. I know I said I wasn't interested earlier, but seriously I can't. You really want to know why? Because that prick at work decided that one of my reports didn't sound good enough, and he wants the report done by tomorrow morning." Rukia paused, listening to what Renji said.

"What? I know, but you couldn't. Yah, I know your good. Renji, you would really do that, come and help? What about the concert? Uh, fine. Ok, ok, bye."

Rukia hung up the phone, a little frustrated. Not only was Renji now coming over in thirty minutes to her house, but she looked like a zombie, as did her apartment.

Sure she had just seen him fifteen minutes ago, but humidity was a very bad thing for Rukia, or any other normal woman who liked to try and stay at least descent.

She quickly got to her feet and pulled the lasagna from the microwave, throwing it slowly into the fridge. Her main concern was her living room, where her computer was located.

"Why did I ask him to come?" Rukia asked herself. She closed her eyes to cool herself. If she didn't calm down, then she might have some sort of heart attack. She could feel her heart beating loudly in her chest.

After shoving clothes, meaningless papers, trash, and random underwear into her bedroom, she quickly dusted and vacuumed, hoping her home looked presentable.

Almost instantaneously following, there was a knock on her door. "Coming!" Rukia called out.

Renji smiled when she opened the door, and politely stepped inside after being invited inside. "So, Kurosaki asked to you to redo an entire paper?" Renji asked. Rukia nodded and walked further into the living room.

"Do want anything to drink? Water? Strawberry lemonade?" Renji looked curious.

"Strawberry lemonade?" He asked. Rukia nodded. "It's homemade."

"Alright, then I'll have some." Rukia grabbed two cups from her pantry, and poured the lemonade. "It's a recipe from my family. It's pretty good." She was already getting off task. Luckily, Renji saved her.

"Alright, so do you have the report?" Renji asked. Rukia nodded and the two traveled to the computer. "Here's the file." Rukia said, pointing to the screen.

"Ok, well let me read this. I'll let you know when I'm finished." She didn't know what was making Renji so nice and different, but she was grateful.

Maybe it was why he was the main guy for editing reports.

Rukia finished heating up her lasagna, and silently ate her food while Renji worked his magic. "Are you serious?" Renji asked. Rukia stood from her couch and walked to her desk.

"What is it?" Renji had reached the graphing part. He pointed to one of the numbers. "You misplaced a comma for this number, and he wants you to redo everything?" Renji asked mockingly. Rukia squinted hard at the page.

"Have you read through everything?" Rukia asked. "Yah and this is the only thing I see."

"Well it's only been a few minutes, so you could have missed something…"

"Rukia, I edit this kind of stuff all the time, I actually looked over this slower than usual." Rukia rolled her eyes.

"This report is fine. Just change the comma and it's perfect." If Rukia weren't so worried about her paper, she might have realized Renji's strange compliment.

Too bad she didn't.

"Alright, well it looks like you just need to print out everything again, and your good to go." Renji said, grinning oddly.

Rukia nodded. "Thanks Renji, you really saved my butt. Well look, I'm really tired so if you don't mind, I would like for you to leave." She tried to say it as kindly as possible.

"Um Rukia, don't you remember my little agreement to coming over here? You know, about the date?" She rolled her eyes. "Yah, but I never said when." Renji rolled his eyes, but looked straight at Rukia again.

"Hey, I got it, the ball next Saturday night, why don't you be my date?" Rukia fought against the disgusted look on her face of bringing _that_ up.

The masquerade ball on New Years Eve.

She didn't give Renji a second chance to say anything as she pushed him out the door.

"How come you're so mean?" He asked sarcastically. "Hey, I just gave you some homemade lemonade; I don't do that for everyone."

"That's because nobody else comes over here." If Renji had been a little closer, she probably would have smacked him on the head.

"Talk to you later Renji, and thanks so much. I can now have a much less stressful night." Renji shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah no problem, those kind of things just come naturally to me." She smiled, waved at him one last time, and shut the door.

Rukia laughed a little bit, realizing how easy and simple her problem had been. She could now enjoy her night with her large bin of ice cream, and possibly sleep in a little late.

She stomped her foot on the ground. "Why does he need it by nine tomorrow?" She muttered.

Rukia wanted to seriously know why Aizen had hired such a horrible person like Kurosaki, but seeing as how the fire man held somewhat power over her, there wasn't much to be done.

And there never would be.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **I know, short, but a little plot-like right? Ok, well don't worry folks, this is IchiRuki, but there will be a little RukiRenji, just not a lot. And as for Ichigo being a jerk, you'll find out more later as to why. This was the prologue, so I hope you all liked it. **Review** and I'll update soon!!

Just a hint, next chapter will be the ball!! Yay!!

LOVE YOU.


	2. Ch1:  Let Go

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

I like to call this an office fic, because everything (well not everything) happens at a corporation. Just read and you'll understand :)

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, it really means so much to me!! And for those who gave me good constructive criticism, thanks!! I tried to fix some stuff in this chapter, so I hope you notice!! Song of this title is Let Go by Imogen Heap!! If you guys know the song, think of it while you read this chapter!

P.S Updates will NOT be this quick, I just figured since the last chapter was the prologue that I would go ahead and post this chapter! I will usually update within about a week or so!!

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.1 Let Go **

"Come on, I'm almost there!" Rukia muttered to herself. The evening was not going as planned.

Not only was she late, bloated, and having bad allergies, the weather outside was not on her side at the moment. "Where are all the cabs?" Rukia complained. One hand held her purse, while the other held the end of her long train from her dress.

She sloppily waved her purse hand up in the air when a taxi approached, and to her luck, it stopped. Rukia's immediate reaction to the taxi was the stench. She quickly pulled a finger to her nose as she sat down, hoping the driver wouldn't be paying attention.

Rukia told the man where to go, and she was off to the masquerade ball. As she made her way towards her destination, she quickly looked over herself.

The strapless dress she wore was a dark blue, tightening at the waste, and draping downwards to the floor, making her body appear a little curvier than it really was.

Minus her jewelry to match, she had a green and blue mask to cover her eyes and hair, sort of creating a peacock look. The point of the masquerade ball was for everyone's appearance to be hidden. It was a weird tradition at Seireitei Inc.

So, as Rukia paid the taxi driver and began making her way to the very expensive banquet room at one of the most luxurious hotels in all of Karakura, she hoped she was dressed appropriately.

Having never been to one of the balls, Rukia had been nervous as to how to dress, but several girls had given her the advice needed.

And so, Rukia walked slowly and carefully into the fancy hotel, in the case that she wouldn't for some reason trip, which had a tendency to happen.

Her eyes widened on instinct as she entered the most amazing room she had ever witnessed. Lights flashing everywhere, music playing, dancing, beautiful paintings. Rukia really felt like she was in another world. In a lot of ways it reminded her of some sort of new flashy club, yet at the same time, a renaissance festival, set in the 1600s, but that of course came from everyone wearing masks.

She quickly noticed all the people in the room, and felt relief in knowing she dressed correctly. Women had on cocktail dresses to match their masks, while men simply wore suits and masks, most covering the head as well. Rukia tried not to let out a smile from seeing several women who overdressed a bit.

They all wore large poofy dresses, hair done in a renaissance like fashion, and even carried wands. All three of them looked upset, and Rukia once again thanked the heavens she actually did something right for once.

Rukia walked further into the wonderland, and found that searching for anyone she knew became hopeless. "How are we supposed to find our friends?" Rukia asked a little irritated, and a little too loud.

"That's the whole idea, you aren't. You talk to people not knowing who they are, heck, you could be talking to Yamamoto himself, and you would have no idea, unless you brought a date." A man next to her muttered. She looked at him, trying to figure out if she knew him or not.

"R-Renji?" She asked, finally realizing the bitterness in his voice when referring to having a date.

"U-uh, Rukia?" Renji replied. Rukia chuckled lightly and patted his shoulder.

"Wow, you're the first person I've talked to and I actually know you." Rukia said mockingly. "Maybe it's fate that you should be my date." He said coldly.

"That rhymed." Was all Rukia replied. "Anyways, I told you, I'm not your date. I never agreed upon when." Rukia finished. She started to quickly walk away, in the hopes of completely losing Renji.

The chances were pretty good, as not only herself, but everyone around her tried to hide their own identities.

Rukia thought the idea was sort of creative. She could talk to a complete stranger, that stranger being a receptionist, or her boss, and she really wouldn't be able to tell.

Some people's masks were more revealing than others, but generally, she couldn't tell a soul from another.

Realizing Rukia hadn't eaten a single thing, she made her way to the food section. After grabbing a small plate, and assembling some fancy foods, Rukia took a seat at the table.

The music was really blaring, and she looked at her watch. "It's only 9:00." The party would end at 1 in the morning, after the shouts of the New Year.

She ate her food slowly, watching the people dancing. They moved as one, not giving a single care in the world. Was she really at a professional business party?

"Champagne?" A waiter asked her. Rukia was feeling bold at the moment, and nodded. The man quickly and elegantly poured the drink into her glass, bowed, and walked away. She smiled, and took a small sip.

Rukia hardly ever drank, even something like champagne or wine, but it wasn't too strong of a drink, so she figured she would go for it.

A few hours passed, and Rukia only sat at her small table, just enjoying hearing the music. She never really got the urge to stand up and go talk to people. Rukia after all, wasn't one to be greatly social and out going.

A man eventually sat down at her table, looking rather wasted. Rukia, being the over cautious girl she was, watched his every move, hoping her mask hid her eyes well enough.

"So, you came alone?" The man asked. Rukia, not liking the way he sat, shook her head. "No, I came with some friends." She replied, and immediately wanted to smack her head. The guy was obviously hitting on her, and she was now probably giving him the wrong impression.

"Can I know your name?" The man asked. Rukia shook her head. "Aren't we supposed to hide our identities here?" She asked. The man smirked, adjusted his mask on his face, and moved a little closer to her.

"Alright, then I won't tell you mine. Well, if your friends don't mind, then I would like if you would dance with me." He offered. Rukia didn't want to, but seeing as the guy probably wouldn't leave her alone, she followed him down, leaving her food at the table.

The floors were extremely crowded, and Rukia was automatically pressed to the man. He didn't give any mercy to helping her out either. The man wrapped one arm around her waist, and held the other up in the air.

She didn't want to dance, not yet at least, and with the creepy guy she was with now. Even through his mask, she could see his lingering eyes. "So, you going to an after party?" The man asked. 

Rukia wasn't any sort of fool, even if she didn't go clubbing. He wanted to land one thing that night, who he hoped was some poor and drunk girl. Right at the moment, she was his lucky target.

"No, I'm not." She didn't want to tell him where, because he might think she was inviting him, which she wasn't. Heck, after the song would end, she was going to disappear, and hopefully not see him again.

Her thoughts soon vanished as she felt a hand on her butt. "Well, if you arent goin home, then why not come with me?" He whispered into her ear. Placing his other hand onto her chest.

Rukia smiled, scooted away from the man, and kneed his manhood. The man lost all capability of breathing, and bent over slightly.

"Sorry, but seeing as you won't be able to get laid tonight now anyways, I'm not going to even bother." Were her simple words as she walked away.

Rukia wasn't any sort of push over, and she took defense classes for a reason. She knew what if felt like to be in a bad relationship and she promised herself it would never happen again, even if it was just a one night stand.

As she quickly walked off the dance floor, she forgot that her dress was extremely long. Before Rukia could stop anything, she fell onto the ground. People around her didn't do a thing to help her up as they danced wildly.

She tried to stand up, only to be pushed back onto the ground from people dancing so close to her. Rukia was trapped, and slightly, more like extremely, claustrophobic.

Her breath was beginning to shorten, and she squeezed her eyes closed, hoping the darkness would help.

It didn't.

And just before Rukia began to further freak out, she saw a hand reaching out in front of her. Confused, she looked up.

A tall man wearing a black mask covering practically his entire face and head held out a hand for her. She took it, and was pulled to her feet with ease.

For some reason, Rukia noticed the ring on his right index finger. It was silver, with a black band going around the middle. Some sort of letters were written on them, but after realizing she still held the man's hand, she let his hand go.

"Come on." He told her. She obeyed, and followed him out of the dance floor. It was sort of crazy, but she wanted to talk to him. Even after only seeing him for a split second, she felt comfortable around him.

Maybe it was because out of the hundreds of people dancing on the floor, he was the only one to help her.

They pulled away to a table with a tray of drinks. "You ok?" He asked. Rukia nodded breathlessly, and took a seat against the table. "Yah, I'm extremely claustrophobic, so being on that ground really freaked me out." She replied.

"I saw what you did." He stated. Rukia, sort of surprised, looked up at him. "What do you mean?" She asked, sort of confused.

"What you did to that guy, how you kicked him, or what ever." He told her. Rukia replied with laughing, and the man smiled.

"Why?" He asked. Rukia closed her eyes and sighed. What did she have to lose with telling him.

"He was feeling me up, and I don't like taking that kind of crap." She replied. This time, he laughed. He turned his head and looked at her, and for a moment, they stared at each other. After several seconds, the man looked away, quickly clearing his throat.

"Well, there are plenty of guys here, and considering they all have masks on, and won't remember whoever it is they sleep with, they don't really care to feel up girls." The guy said.

"Seriously, how is this supposed to be a business party?" Rukia asked. The man grinned. "The answer is simple, it's not. You must be pretty new then. Who told you that anyways?" He asked mockingly.

"I just heard it from a few people." Rukia replied quickly, feeling rather embarrassed.

"Well whoever told you was wrong. It's not a business party to be exact, but a party thrown by the corporation. It's sort of our welcoming in for the New Year. Yamamoto may be old, but even he likes all the employees to at least once feel a little stress free, hence the whole "hide your identity with masks" theme." He stated. Rukia looked up at him curiously.

"How do you know so much?" She asked. The man grinned again.

"I've been around for a few years, so I know a thing or two."

Rukia couldn't stop the next question that came out her mouth. "How old are you?" She didn't know why she wanted to know. She supposed she hoped he was a little younger.

Even through his mask, she could see his surprise from the question. "Well, I'm 24."

Rukia smiled at first, happy to know he was close to her age, but then again, he could have been lying, even though he did sound fairly young.

"So, you aren't trying to hit on me in any sort of way are you?" The man asked. Rukia chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" She asked mockingly.

The man shoved his hands in his pockets. "Oh, you don't have to worry too much about me. I'm kind of an anti social. This is probably the only social event I ever come to."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you won't hit on girls. For all I know, you could be completely lying to me. Besides, you seem pretty social to me." But for some reason, Rukia didn't think he was lying. The way he held himself, and the way he didn't even look at her, sort of gave her the impression that he wasn't a pervert at all, in fact, he looked rather nervous.

Rukia, not being the bravest soul on the planet herself, took his hand. "How about we dance?" She asked. She thought for sure he wouldn't want to, but was surprised when he agreed.

They didn't move too far into the crowd, but were in enough to feel away from the world.

The song was a little slower, and the man simply placed his hands on her waist, while she moved her hands to his shoulders.

"So, I know we arent supposed to ask for names, but can you tell me yours? Or at least make some sort of fake name?" Rukia asked playfully. The man looked to think for a minute, smirked, and replied.

"How about you call me Prince Charming." He said. Rukia laughed, feeling a little ridiculous. "And what should I call you?" He asked.

She knew her answer the minute he gave her his. "Cinderella." She said smiling, feeling like a little kid. The man scooted a little closer to her, but not enough to completely invade personal space.

"So, Cinderella, how long have you worked for Seireitei Inc.?" He asked. Rukia shrugged her shoulders.

"A little over two months." She replied. Rukia really didn't feel like getting too deeply into a conversation about her current job. "How about you?" She asked.

"A little over two years." He too looked dull at his sentence. "So, you're 24, and you've worked here for two years, that's pretty good. You must have got hired pretty quickly after getting out of college."

"Yah, it's stressful sometimes, but I really like it. Do you like working here?" Unfortunately, Rukia couldn't agree.

"It's ok. I just started working here, and I'm still getting used to things. I'm sure it will eventually get better." She would have told him about her crazy boss, but just in the case that he was somewhere nearby, she didn't mention anything.

"Wow, its 11:50." The man said, looking at his watch.

"I can't believe its going to be 2008." Rukia stated. The man nodded.

They danced to another song, and as the floor started to get even more crowded due to the count down approaching, Rukia and her Prince Charming left the floor.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked. Rukia looked around, and pointed at several rooms with shaded curtains. The rooms were for more "privacy", but Rukia's real reason wasn't for something like _that_.

"I hate countdowns." Rukia stated, trying not to sound like a perverted woman. The man caught on, and led her to one of the small rooms. He closed the curtain, and sat down next to her on the soft couch.

The curtains were see-through, so they could still see and hear the count down as it would approach. "Why do you hate countdowns?" He asked.

"Because, just about every New Years party I've gone to, something bad always happens when I stand and watch the countdown." Rukia didn't want to go into details as to why, and the man didn't push anything on her.

"Well, maybe this New Years will actually be a good one." He said smiling. And then, the count down began. "58, 57, 56," Rukia could hear the large crowd outside shouting out the numbers to the time.

She looked back at her Prince Charming, to see his face much closer than before. Even if the only thing she could see were his lips and chin, she felt like she already knew him.

"19, 18, 17" The crowd continued to cry, but the shouting started to quickly die down as she focused more and more on the person in front of her. His lips were inching closer to hers, and she closed her eyes.

"3, 2,1 HAPPY NEW YEARS!" Every shouted and yelled, but Rukia was gone.

His mouth was on hers, and she actually liked it.

Rukia was never a big fan for kissing. People always went on and on about how romantic it was, but whenever she would kiss a guy, it never felt right, just strange.

But as she kissed the man, her Prince Charming, that she had only met an hour ago, she felt wonderful. His lips moved perfectly with hers, and when she opened her mouth slightly, to let his in, he did it slowly, not rough and lustful.

For the first time in her life, Rukia knew what a true kiss felt like. She moved closer to him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He pulled her onto his lap, and hugged her against himself tightly.

He then pulled away, looking breathless. "You're good." She stated, feeling like a total idiot for admitting that out loud.

"You too." He replied, causing giant butterflies to swim around in her stomach. This time, Rukia closed the annoying gap between their lips, and pressed them hard onto his.

Just as the kiss started to deepen, the curtain opened, and several people gasped. Rukia quickly pulled away from her prince, looking embarrassed.

"Oh, sorry." Two girls said giggling. They closed the curtain again and left. Rukia looked back at the man, hoping he still wanted more.

"Well, it looks like the count down is over." He replied, looking disappointed. Instead of getting disappointed herself, she felt more butterflies.

She thought for sure that he would want to have his way with her, but he didn't. He was signaling for her them to leave, to go back out there. And she knew he wasn't doing it to say he didn't like her, because the way he kissed her told her otherwise.

She didn't even want to think of the possibility of being kicked to the curb in that sort of way.

He was being kind, because maybe he felt the way she did for him, even if it was on one of the craziest nights of the entire year. He stood up and took her hand.

They walked out of the small side room smiling. Even after they were out, he didn't leave Rukia's side. For the rest of the party, they stayed together. When the last song played, they slow danced together. He even kissed her again, just as passionately as before.

Maybe the night wasn't over after all, but he surprised her again.

When people started to leave, he led her to the doorway. "It was good meeting you." He said smiling. Rukia didn't want the night to end.

"You too." It felt a little strange to act so formal to a guy she was just making out with.

"Well, I have to go now. I've got to get up early." He told her. She only nodded, and when he took her hand, and kissed it, Rukia felt goose bumps all over again.

"Wait, I want you to have something." Rukia said. It wasn't like her to do something so silly, but she figured she would never see the guy again. She pulled off one of her earrings.

"Here, take it. Just so you remember me." Rukia said. Her Prince Charming smiled, and pulled the earring into his pocket. "Let me give you something too." He said to her, and pulled off a piece of his black mask.

"Goodbye then?" Rukia asked hopelessly. He smiled, leaned down, and brushed his lips against hers one last time.

"Yah, goodbye." It was all just too good to be true, and as Rukia watched him walk away, she almost ran after him

Instead, she turned around in the opposite direction, and called for a taxi.

When she reached her home, she closed the door to her apartment and leaned against it, beaming.

"I think this might have been the best night of my life, even if it was for an hour." Rukia never thought she could feel that happy and carefree.

She really liked it, and she hoped that upon some miracle, that she would somehow meet her Prince Charming again.

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A/N: Hmm, so I wonder who Prince Charming is??? Haha, I hoped you all liked this chapter, because let me tell you, it was so much fun to write!! I loved adding the part about Rukia kicking that guys "manhood". She would so do something like that!! And as for the whole Prince Charming and Cinderella thing, I know it probably sounded cliché, but I thought it sounded cute for that part! (Yah, I know you guys are probably wondering why Ichigo of all people would think of something like that).

Next chapter will be very interesting. So please review and I'll have the next chapter up soon!!


	3. Ch2:  Homesick

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

I like to call this an office fic, because everything (well not everything) happens at a corporation. Just read and you'll understand :)

Thanks to all the awesome reviews!! I've never gotten so many for a story!! I hope this chapter sounds good!! I'm so encouraged that I wrote the next three chapters in two days! (That's a lot for me!)

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.2 Homesick**

"Hey Rukia, what are you up to?" Renji asked her, stopping by her office. "Just filing some papers, the usual, and you?" She asked him. Renji looked surprised by her enthusiasm to talk to him, and responded with a grin.

"Just editing reports, and taking these to Kurosaki-sans's office. He wants to look over all these papers." Rukia rolled her eyes. She was in a good mood, and hearing anything about her boss might have ruined it.

"You've been really happy lately, why is that?" Renji asked, apparently noticing her smile. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied as she turned away from him, pretending to look at a file.

"Well hey, don't forget you owe me a date." Renji muttered. Rukia laughed. "Ok, well it probably won't be for a good ten years or so." She replied.

"What if you're married by then?" Renji asked. Rukia shrugged her shoulders.

"Then I guess you won't get to go on a date with me." Before the guy could respond, Rukia began to close her office door.

"Oh Rukia, wait!" She opened the door slightly again and watched as Renji set down the papers in his hands. "Hold on, I got it right here." He said as he dug his hand in his pocket.

When his hand came out, there was a small card. "Happy Birthday Rukia."

Taken by surprise, Rukia took the card, smiling. "R-Renji, how did you know? I haven't told anyone." She said, still smiling.

"I stumbled upon some of your work files, and I saw your birth date." Rukia sighed.

"You're such a stalker." She said giggling. Renji rolled his eyes. "Well, I hope you like it. I'll see you later then." Renji waved at her, picked up his stack of papers, and walked away.

It had been several weeks since the masquerade ball, and every day, Rukia had been in a fantastic mood. Not only that, but things were starting to get better.

Her work was getting done at a faster rate, she was beginning to talk to more employees around her, and probably the best of all, was that her boss, Kurosaki-san, had been gone for the past two weeks.

But even knowing that he was now back, and might come into her office at any second to piss her off, she still felt happiness.

Rukia opened her small card from Renji. There was a gift card to a café near her apartment, and she only smiled more.

Maybe she should give Renji a chance.

"On second thought, nah." She whispered to herself. Renji was a great friend to her, but it was sort of a turn-off when just about every conversation they had was an argument about her going on a date with him.

When 5:30 rolled around, Rukia was one of the first out of the large building. Nothing, not even having to rewrite an entire report, could stop her from getting home. Her sister, Hisana, was coming into town to see her for her birthday, actually, for their birthday, and she was ecstatically thrilled.

She hadn't seen Hisana in several months, and it had been hard on her. Hisana was her best friend, her everything, and she really missed her.

"Ok, so I'm meeting her at Kubo's Restaurant at 6, so I need to hurry." She said to herself as she walked into her house. Kubo's Restaurant was a pretty nice place located right outside the city, so she would have to get ready, and fast.

The ride down to the restaurant went by quickly. Rukia decided to dress up a little and wear her new dress she bought a few weeks ago, it was sort of a present to herself.

"Your name?" The hostess asked. "Kuchiki Rukia." The hostess paused. "Wait, didn't you already come in here?" She asked. Rukia chuckled lightly.

"No, that was my sister, Hisana." The hostess looked at her list again, and nodded. "Is she your twin or something?" The hostess asked politely.

"Yah, she is."

The hostess guided Rukia to her table, and Rukia grinned from ear to ear when she saw her sister stand up to greet her. "Rukia! I've missed you so much!!" Hisana cried as she hugged her younger by six minutes sister tightly.

"I've missed you too! And happy birthday!" Rukia replied.

"Same goes to you!" They both laughed and took a seat.

"Ladies, can I start you off with something to drink?" The waiter asked. "Water please." Hisana said quickly. The waiter wrote down her order and turned to Rukia.

"How about strawberry lemonade." Rukia replied. "Alright ladies, I'll be right back with your drinks." The waiter walked away afterwards, leaving Rukia and Hisana to talk.

"You're still obsessed with strawberry lemonade I see." Hisana said grinning. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Of course I am. And why are you drinking water? Don't you usually get soda or something?" Rukia stated. Hisana looked uneasy.

"Yah, about that. I went to the doctor, and it seems my health isn't too great at the moment, so I can only drink water or juice for the time being." Hisana said sadly. Rukia frowned.

"Well enough about that, how the heck have you been?" Hisana asked. Rukia smiled, still worried about her sister. Hisana _never_ got sick.

"Just working and everything. It's getting a lot better. I'm meeting lots of new people, and the stress is starting to go away." Rukia said. She loved talking to her sister because she could literally tell her anything.

"Have you talked to Byakuya at all lately?" Hisana asked. Rukia rolled her eyes. Their older brother could sometimes be hard to contact.

"Not really. Why, have you?" Rukia asked. Hisana shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, well he called me this morning, so I thought he would have for sure called you too." For some reason, Byakuya always favored Hisana over her, even though he would never admit it.

"How is the fashion industry going?" Rukia asked.

"It's going great. They're finally using one of my designs for a fashion shooting, I'm so excited!" Hisana went to say more, but the waiter came up with their drinks.

"Here you go ladies, are you ready to order?" The waiter asked. Hisana and Rukia nodded and ordered their food.

"Rukia, you're actually ordering a salad? I thought you hated them?" Hisana asked, looking shocked. Rukia shook her head.

"I do, but I came here a few months ago and ordered this, its really good." Rukia replied. Hisana sighed and took a small sip of her water.

"Anyways, yes, things are going great. I'm just so glad I finally got to come see you, its been what, three months?" Hisana asked.

"Yep, just about. Oh, and before I forget," Rukia paused, grabbed her purse, and pulled out a small box and card. "Here's your birthday present."

Hisana smiled and took the gift from her sister's hand. "What on Earth did you get me?" Hisana asked playfully. She read the card and finally opened the gift.

"Oh Rukia, it's so pretty." Hisana cried as she pulled the necklace out of the box. Rukia knew Hisana's taste in jewelry better than anyone on the planet. The necklace was simple with a silver chain. Around the chain were dark blue stones.

"I just bought a dress in Paris and I had a hard time finding jewelry for it . This will match perfectly!" Hisana cried again. Rukia loved seeing her sister smile the way she did.

"Alright, well let me get out your gift." Hisana picked up a huge present from underneath the table.

Rukia took the box eagerly and started pulling at the ribbon that held the box together. She took the lid off, and unfolded the tissue paper. Rukia gasped loudly.

"The dress, in that magazine. You got it for me?" Rukia asked, completely shocked. Hisana smiled.

"Of course I did. It's original work too. Only about four or five of the dresses have been made in the entire world." Hisana replied. If Rukia weren't at such a fancy restaurant, she would have walked over to her sister and hugged her.

"How did you know I wanted this?" Rukia asked.

"The same way you knew how to pick my jewelry. You're my twin, and I more than anyone know what looks good on you."

Rukia took a good look at her sister, and noticed her skin seemed paler than usual. She didn't want Hisana to be worried about how she looked all night, so she continued to smile and talk.

"Rukia, I have a question." Hisana looked suspicious about something. "Yah, what?" Rukia asked.

"Well, I remember you sending me an email about some ball or party for your work. How did that go?"

Rukia grinned widely, and started laughing. "It went pretty well." Hisana didn't look satisfied with her answer.

"Why are you smiling like that, did you meet someone or something?" Hisana asked, looking extremely interested. Rukia supposed she could tell her sister of all people.

"Kind of, in a way." Rukia replied. Hisana looked confused. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"It's kind of a long story, but I'll tell you." Hisana nodded and waited for Rukia to continue.

"Well, the party was a masquerade ball, you know, where everyone wears a mask as to hide who they really are. Don't ask why, its just a tradition they have every year." Rukia paused, only to see her sister encourage her on.

"Ok, well I met this guy there. I was trying to get off the dance floor when I tripped over my dress, and he helped me up. I talked to him for a little while, and even though I couldn't see his face, I could tell he was cute."

"Anything _else_ happen?" Hisana hinted. Rukia chuckled. "Yes, but not much." Hisana laughed.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked. The waiter brought their food and set it on the table. After making sure Rukia and Hisana didn't need anything else, the waiter walked away.

"See? Doesn't this look good Hisana?" Rukia asked, pointing to her salad. Hisana didn't even glance down at her plate.

"Stop avoiding the subject." Rukia smiled. "Fine, fine. I kissed him. Ok, well more like made out with him." Rukia admitted. Hisana gasped.

"Rukia, that is so not like you! Where? At the party? In front of _everyone_?" Hisana asked. Rukia quickly shook her head.

"No, they had these little privacy rooms you could go into, and you know I hate count downs. So he came in there with me, and while everyone cheered for the New Year, we kissed." Rukia felt embarrassed for actually saying it out loud, even if it was to Hisana.

"Wow Rukia, you must have really liked him! Did he tell you his name or anything?" Hisana asked. Rukia smiled.

"You aren't supposed to say your names at the party, so we made up nick names for each other. He was Prince Charming, and I was Cinderella."

Hisana looked about ready to bust into laughter. "How old are you again Rukia?" Hisana asked sarcastically.

"It was just a party, and I couldn't see his face. It was fun." Rukia replied. Hisana took a bite of her food.

"Do you regret it?" Hisana asked. Rukia knew what she meant. "No, I don't. In fact, I kind of want to try and find him somehow."

Hisana shook her head. "Be careful with that one. You might not regret it now, but if you find him again, it could be extremely awkward, considering the kind of party you were at and everything, and besides, you have no idea who he was."

"So what, I don't think it will be that big of a deal. I mean, I didn't recognize his voice or anything, so why would it be awkward?" Rukia asked.

Hisana shrugged her shoulders. "I'm just warning you is all. It's not like I have a lot of experience in the area, but I have friends that have gone through the same kind of thing."

"Oh yah, your model friends that wear a size zero. They could probably get any guy they wanted to with just one look." Rukia muttered.

Hisana laughed. "Actually, that's not true. They're all sticks, when most guys like girls with a little more curves. Plus, most of the models are taller than a lot of guys."

Rukia laughed. "Our height is something we'll never have to worry about." Rukia replied bitterly.

"Well anyways, I'm glad you had a good time at the ball. It sounded like fun." Hisana stated. They continued to eat their dinner for the rest of the time, talking to one another in the process.

When 8 o'clock rolled around, they split their bill and headed out to leave. "Well look, I really wish I could stay, but I have a shoot to attend early in the morning, and I can't be late." Hisana said, looking at her watch.

"I understand. I'm just glad you at least took the decency to come all the way out here." Rukia replied, mentally cursing her rude brother. He never came to see her, not that she wanted him to do it too often…

"Well listen, try to stay healthy ok?" Rukia asked. Hisana nodded chuckling and hugged her sister tightly. Rukia couldn't believe she didn't notice it before.

Hisana was extremely thin. Even after hugging her, she could see how bony she looked.

"You take care, and have fun finding your Prince Charming. I love you!" Hisana yelled as she called for a taxi.

"Love you too!" Rukia waved back and watched as he sister drove away in the taxi. She felt a little worry for her sister, and truly hoped she was ok.

Immediately following, Rukia called for a taxi and made her way to her apartment. She felt both happy and a little gloomy about seeing her sister.

Rukia didn't get to see her too often, and it was nice to get to just talk to her the way she did tonight, but now, she was gone, and she probably wouldn't see her for another few months or so.

She suddenly felt homesick, missing her entire family. Her parents lived far away in a retirement home, and her brother was _always_ away with his business.

"Great, and now I'm getting older too." Rukia hadn't thought about it much, but she was 24 years old. In six years, she would be thirty, the age of her brother. Rukia shuddered.

"Why did he call Hisana and not me?" Rukia asked herself. Byakuya always called them on their birthday, but why only Hisana? Sighing, Rukia took a hot bath, letting her muscles relax in the heated water.

The good mood she had all day was now gone, and Rukia felt extremely bitter. Her life wasn't taking the turn she had always wanted, and she started to feel a great amount of doubt.

When she finished taking a bath, she got ready to go to bed. It was 9:30, and she was exhausted. "Oh right, there's a meeting in the morning. Urghh." Rukia whined.

Just as she pulled the blanket over her body, her phone rang. "Who the heck is calling me right now?" She looked at her phone, and smiled.

"Hello? Hey Byakuya. Thanks, yah it was fun. Hisana and I went out to eat. Ok, well come and visit me soon. Alright, bye."

She hung up her phone, now in a completely different mood. "I think that was the longest conversation I've ever had with him over the phone." She whispered to herself beaming.

Rukia fell asleep that night a little happier than before. She really did miss her cold and emotionless brother, and she was glad to know that he was still alive and breathing. Sometimes it felt like he didn't even exist anymore.

The next morning, Rukia got ready in a rush. Her alarm didn't go off when it was supposed to, so she had fifteen minutes to get from her apartment to her office, which was basically impossible.

She rushed out of her apartment and made her way outside. To her luck, a taxi pulled up at the perfect time. When she pulled up to the building, Rukia threw money at the driver, and rushed quickly up the stairs.

"Come on, I have five minutes!" Rukia whispered to herself. She knew she probably looked horrible, considering she barely combed through her hair. She didn't know what she would do if she actually wore make up.

When she turned a corner, something shiny caught her eye. "What is that?" It looked like some sort of earring. Curiosity got the better of her, and she approached the small object quickly. She was shocked to find out what it really was.

"Is this? His _ring_?" She thought, picking the small object up. Rukia examined the ring thoroughly. It looked just like the ring her Prince Charming wore the night of the ball. She even noticed the weird letters from before.

"This has to be his ring! It must be a sign!" Rukia thought. All she had to do now was give the ring back to the rightful owner, and she would find him.

It wasn't like she got an amazing look at the ring at the ball, but she had never really seen anything like it, and it also gave her a hope that perhaps her Prince Charming was much closer than she thought.

"Great, I'm going to be late!" She nearly shouted as she dashed to the office, shoving the small ring in her pocket. Rukia made it to the meeting with a minute to spare somehow, and seeing that there weren't any seats left, she stood against the wall next to Hinamori, her only other friend minus Renji.

"Rukia-san! How are you?" Hinamori asked. Rukia sighed. "My alarm didn't go off this morning, so I was in a rush to get here." Hinamori smiled.

"Well you look pretty good for being in such a rush." Hinamori replied. Rukia could tell that they were going to have a wonderful friendship.

About thirty seconds later, Aizen Sousuke and his assistant, Kurosaki Ichigo walked in. His head of flamed still amazed Rukia, and she found it hard to focus on the meeting for a moment.

"Wow, Kurosaki-san looks really mad." Hinamori whispered to Rukia. When was he not angry looking? But when Rukia looked at him again, she found that Hinamori was correct.

He always scowled, but at the particular moment, he looked furious, almost ready to snap. What was his deal?

"Before we begin the meeting, I need to ask you all something." Aizen said calmly. He always had a strange charisma about him, even for a guy with dorky looking glasses.

"It seems that Kurosaki-san has lost something. A ring. It's very expensive, and extremely rare, so if you think you've seen it, or if you know someone that has it, please notify him at once."

"What does the ring look like?" Somebody asked.

"It's silver with a black stripe in the middle." Ichigo stated.

Rukia literally fainted.

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**A/N:** So how was THAT ending for you? I personally liked it. But, what did you think? Did you like it? And I thought it would be kind of different to make Hisana first of all, alive, and second, her twin sister. They just look so alike so I thought they could pull it off. (And I know Rukia was rather bubbly, but she was talking to her sister, so I figured she would act something like that…)

I know there wasn't really any IchiRuki in it, but minus the last chapter, things are going to develop slowly. **Please review** and tell me what you thought!! Was it too much? Not enough? Should I throw a bunch of pies at my face? I hope not, I once got a pie thrown at my face, and it went up my nose (eeww but it did clear my sinuses…)

Next update will probably be next weekend (Friday if I get a lot of reviews!!)

Love you all, so please review!!!


	4. Ch3:  Deeper Attraction

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

WOW, aren't I a nice person for updating TWO days early when I have ACT coming up… But you guys are worth it because I love you!

Ok, so I have a really bad tendency to rush things, and I'm glad someone already pointed it out that I kind of am, because since it's so early on, I can go back and edit/add stuff. I've done an outline for this, and I'm thinking approximately 24-25 chapters, maybe more, maybe less, depending on how things go. This is going to be my longest story yet, and I hope to make the chapters (most chapters) lengthy too.

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.3 Deeper Attraction**

"Rukia-san, are you alright?" She could hear someone asking. Rukia slowly opened her eyes, and found a bunch of eyes on her. "Oh thank heavens!" Hinamori's voice cried.

"What happened?" Rukia asked weakly. "You fainted." Renji stated.

"Renji, why are you here?" Rukia asked. "Do you not remember?" Renji asked. Rukia looked around the room, and wanted to faint again.

Everyone in the office was staring at her.

"Are you alright Kuchiki-san?" Came the sweet voice of Aizen. Hinamori and Renji slowly helped her up. "Yes, I'm sorry. I didn't eat anything this morning, so I just got a little light headed." Rukia lied.

"How long have I been out?" Rukia asked Hinamori. "About seven minutes."

"Seven _minutes_?" Forget fainting, Rukia completely passed out. But why?

"I guess we don't need to call the ambulance anymore then." Renji muttered, rubbing his head.

And then it hit her, much harder than she wanted. Her hand instinctively went to her pocket, where she had found the ring.

Kurosaki Ichigo's ring.

She felt the heated feeling all over again, and leaned against the wall for support.

"It's impossible, just impossible." Rukia whispered to herself.

"What's impossible Rukia-san?" Hinamori asked.

Rukia looked up, smiled, and took a seat somebody offered her.

The meeting soon followed, and people eventually stopped staring at Rukia. None of the information she was given processed into her head, because her mind was else where.

"The ring could just be a look alike." She said to herself. Rukia really wanted to pull it out and look at it, but if someone saw her, then that would look extremely suspicious.

"Alright, this meeting is over." Aizen stated. Everyone grabbed their things and began to walk out. Rukia felt a hand fall onto her shoulder, and she quickly turned around.

"Really, are you sure you're alright?" Aizen asked her, smiling. Rukia nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry this happened. I really should have eaten something this morning." Rukia replied.

Aizen chuckled. "Nonsense. But really, if you do have any health issues, please notify me at once." Rukia nodded at his words, and left the room.

"I need to get to my office. I need to get to my office." She repeated in her head as she made her way through the small hallways.

"Rukia, where are you going in such a hurry?" Renji asked. Rukia for once completely ignored him.

She had way too much on her mind.

"It couldn't be, no, it just couldn't. It's impossible. I must have been seeing things." Rukia thought to herself.

She finally reached her office and pulled the ring out of her pocket. "It looks just like the ring at the party." She whispered.

The letters, which she finally noticed, said the word hierarchy. "What kind of ring has the word hierarchy written on it?" She whispered. Rukia sat down on a chair before she fainted again.

"I can't believe I fainted." She groaned. How pathetic was she exactly?

"I mean, surely it hadn't been Kurosaki Ichigo. That's ludicrous. He doesn't have a personality. Maybe someone borrowed the ring from him, or maybe the man I met at the party just had on a similar ring."

All of the thinking was causing the worst headache possible to form, and she quickly pulled some Advil from her purse.

"I need to give him his ring back." Rukia muttered. She hoped and prayed that he wasn't the person she thought he was, because that would be a horrible awakening.

Maybe Hisana was right. Maybe she shouldn't pry and figure out who her real Prince Charming was.

"I don't even see how he could have hidden his hair. It would probably shine through even from the mask he wore." Rukia said coldly. Just thinking of the possibility of her _kissing_ him.

There was just no way.

How could someone so emotionless, who scowled all the time, who even walked dully, possibly be the same person that she met at the ball?

There was soon a knock on her door, and she shoved the ring back into her pocket. "Hey is it ok if I come in?" Hinamori asked, popping her head into the doorway.

Rukia smiled and nodded, standing up to greet Hinamori. "Oh you don't have to stand up if you're still feeling dizzy." Hinamori stated.

"I feel much better now." Rukia replied. Hinamori looked questionable about something.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hinamori asked.

"I'm just fine. Why? Does it look like something is bothering me?" Rukia asked. Oh yes, something was definitely bothering her.

"You can talk to me you know, if you want to." Hinamori told Rukia smiling. Rukia smiled back, sighed, and opened her mouth to talk.

Rukia couldn't take it anymore, and busted. She told Hinamori everything, from the Masquerade ball, up to that morning, when she had fainted.

"And that's when I came to my office, and took some Advil from all the thinking." Rukia finally finished.

Hinamori was _speechless_.

"Well? Say something!" Rukia nearly shouted. She needed some advice, girl advice.

"I-I don't know what to say. That's crazy! I mean, it could easily be a different ring." Rukia shook her head at Hinamori's words.

"Yes, but Aizen-san said the ring was rare. I remember the ring I saw him wearing that night, and it's identical to this one. Besides, I've never seen a ring like it before." Rukia pulled the ring out to show to Hinamori.

"Wow, you're right, it is extremely rare looking." Hinamori said, staring into the ring. "I wonder why Kurosaki-san would wear something like this. It doesn't seem like him at all."

Rukia felt nauseous again.

"So what do I do? How do I find out for sure if it's him or not?" Rukia asked. Hinamori thought for a moment.

"Could you maybe ask him?" Hinamori asked. Rukia laughed.

"Hinamori-san, this is Kurosaki Ichigo we're talking about. Do you know how extremely weird that would be to say "Oh hi, I was just wondering something. Did you happen to make out with me at the masquerade ball a few weeks ago?" Right, he would really like that question."

Rukia quickly remembered something important.

"I gave him one of my earrings that night! So that he would remember me!" Rukia exclaimed. Hinamori smiled oddly.

"That's nice of you I guess…to give him one of your earrings…" Hinamori said, looking oddly at the other girl. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Look, if I can find out if he has my earring, then I will know for sure if it's him or not, and I _hope_ that it isn't." Rukia felt goose bumps again.

"Well I don't think Kurosaki-san's that bad looking. I kind of like his hair." Hinamori replied, grinning. Rukia looked disgusted.

"I don't think I could ever even look at him in an attractive way. He's always so rude and cold, I can't stand it." Rukia muttered.

"Well, if what you told me is true, and if that ring is the same ring you saw that night, then yes Rukia-san, you are indeed attracted to him."

Rukia shook her head. "No, because even if it is him, I didn't see his face that night. So therefore I am not."

Hinamori smiled. "You know, I think sometimes attraction is more than just appearance, but also about how comfortable you are around the person. Kind of like a deeper attraction or something."

"We're getting off subject here. If we can find my earring, located around him, then I will know for sure." Rukia said bravely.

"We can start by looking in his office." Hinamori said. Rukia wanted to cry.

"How are we going to get into his office?"

"I don't know, but how about we not worry about it right now, and get back to our jobs?" Hinamori asked. Rukia groaned a little, realizing that about fifteen minutes had passed, and she had accomplished absolutely _nothing._

"Well I better get going, but for now, just give him his ring back." Hinamori told her as she said her goodbye.

When the door closed, Rukia slumped into her chair and turned her computer on. The past few weeks had been really good, but now, they were starting to get dark and gloomy, just like before.

The day dragged on rather slowly, and when Rukia finally got a break, she walked to Kurosaki Ichigo's office, nearly afraid for her life.

Even the hallway just outside his room seemed darker than usual; she even heard a little thunder coming from outside.

Rukia took a deep breath, and knocked on his office door.

"Come in." His cold voice replied. Rukia closed her eyes one last time, and entered the room.

Kurosaki Ichigo was scanning over some report, looking a little goaded. "Yes?" He asked dully, glancing at Rukia for a mere second.

"Um, well, about your ring…" Rukia was never this nervous around him. Maybe it was due to the possibility of knowing that her lips might have actually touched his.

Her eyes moved away from his eyes, to his lips. "No, it's just impossible." She thought to herself. How could someone that scowled as much as him kiss anyways?

"What about it?" He asked with a smudge more of enthusiasm. "I found it on the ground a few minutes ago." She lied. It had actually been several hours ago.

Ichigo eyed her suspiciously.

"I searched the halls all day today, and I never saw it." He muttered to her.

Rukia's breath caught in her throat. Was he _accusing_ her of trying to steal his ring or something? 

"Hmm, that's strange. I don't know, I just remembered what you said this morning, and I saw it on the floor. Maybe somebody else had it and dropped it or something." She replied to him, not holding back so much on the whole stay calm thing.

Rukia pulled the ring out of her pocket and handed it to him. "Thank you." He replied quickly, still watching her every move suspiciously. She watched him put it on.

"Do you always wear it on that finger?" Rukia asked. Ichigo looked up at her strangely.

"Yah why?" It was located on his right hand index finger, just like she had seen at the masquerade ball.

"Oh, well I do too, how neat right?" Rukia was mentally screaming. What was she saying anyhow?

"Alright, well I'm extremely busy, so if you would leave, that would be great." Ichigo muttered. Rukia faked a smile, and left his hell of an office.

The walk back to her room took longer than before, and when she reached her office, she really wanted to punch something.

"He's such a jerk! It's impossible, it has to be. There's no way I made out with Kurosaki Ichigo at the masquerade ball!" He was always so rude, and he even looked at her so disbelievingly.

"I'm shocked he even thanked me!" She nearly screamed.

But that didn't explain the ring.

She needed to go home and lye down. The headache she had wasn't going away. Rukia signed out, and went home. It was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and she felt like poop.

When she finally reached her apartment, she unlocked the door slowly. "First, I'm going to take a bath, and then, I'm going to sleep." She muttered to herself as she closed the door behind her.

Rukia walked into her bedroom and leaned over her dresser, removing her jewelry. She started her bathwater, and sat on the toilet, thinking about her day.

"The whole incident already seems like so long ago." She thought to herself. Rukia needed to stop thinking about it, because she was only getting more nauseous.

"I need to not be so reckless." Rukia murmured, and turned away to her medicine cabinet.

She opened the small mirrored door, and froze.

"My depression pills." Rukia whispered. She didn't know why her eyes suddenly stumbled upon the pills, but they were there, staring straight back at her.

Rukia never did use them, not once, but seeing that her doctor wouldn't have it if Rukia didn't buy the stupid things, she did, just in case.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pictures of her ex-boyfriend, Grimmjow, could float into her already clouded mind.

"It's over; he can't get to me again." She reassured herself.

Forgetting what ever Rukia originally needed, she closed the cabinet behind her, and went to retrieve a towel.

Rukia was an extremely cautious girl, even to her own self. Unlike in her sleep, when she couldn't control what she saw, she could now, and refused to think about seeing his face again. She didn't need to.

And Rukia wasn't going to risk it, not even for a second.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Ok, I really didn't like how that chapter turned out, so I apologize. There really wasn't anything great about it. And yes, I decided to add some Grimmjow drama into the story, just to make things more appealing. Next chapter will be interesting, and Rukia might realize the answer to Ichigo being her Prince Charming.

**Review!** And don't flame me for this chapter, please. I already had a bad enough time with writing it!! LOVE YOU ALL!!

P.S Sorry it was so short! Next chapter will be much longer and way more exciting!!!


	5. Ch4:  The Elevator Experience

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Kind of disappointed of the lack of reviews for the last chapter, especially since I updated early and everything. Hopefully you'll review more for this chapter, otherwise it will be a long wait for the next one (though I hate waiting to put up a new chapter…) Anyways, thanks to the people who did review, you rock!! Rukia gets into a funny situation with Ichigo, title is a hint!!

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.4 The Elevator Experience**

"Hey Kuchiki-san, how have you been?" Inoue Orihime asked. Rukia smiled lightly and took a seat across from the girl.

"Busy, and you?" Rukia asked, hoping she didn't sound too rude. Inoue just shrugged her shoulders.

"Just filing and making appointments. Seriously, I've been a receptionist for several years, but this has got to be one of the hardest jobs I've ever come across." Inoue said grinning. Rukia pulled her lunch out of her bag.

"Wow, that looks really good!" Inoue exclaimed. Rukia didn't make any motion towards Inoue as she pulled her crappy peanut butter and jelly sandwich out.

"What is that?" Inoue asked, pointing at Rukia's drink. "It's homemade strawberry lemonade, family recipe." Rukia replied.

"Oh, neat!" Inoue beamed. Rukia wasn't really in the mood for someone so positive.

"What are you eating?" Rukia asked, just trying to keep the light conversation flowing. She needed something to keep her mind at ease, and talking to Inoue was helping, a little.

"Bean paste with honey syrup. It's so good when you put it on wheat bread!" Inoue stated smiling proudly. Rukia now wished she hadn't asked.

She waved when she saw Hinamori walking up to sit down. Hinamori smiled, and joined Rukia and Inoue at their small table.

"Hey Rukia-san, Inoue-san, how have you guys been?" Hinamori asked. Rukia replied with her previous busy, while Inoue pointed to her food.

"Hungry!" Inoue said, chuckling lightly. Hinamori turned to Rukia.

"So, Rukia, anything_interesting_ happen lately?" She asked. Rukia sighed, knowing exactly what she referred to.

"It's only been a few days, so no, nothing. I did tell you that I gave it back to him right?" Rukia asked. Hinamori nodded. Inoue seemed clueless to their strange use of words as she ate her bean paste and honey syrup sandwich.

"Was he a jerk like always?" Hinamori asked with humor. Rukia looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"What do you think?" Hinamori laughed at Rukia's statement, and pulled her food out.

"So I guess that's a yes, did he even thank you?" Hinamori asked. Rukia smirked.

"Yah, he did, but he said it rudely, like how he says everything else."

"At least he said thanks…" Hinamori muttered. Rukia smiled faintly at her, and continued to eat her sandwich. She wasn't too surprised when Renji plopped down next to Inoue.

"Hey guys. Rukia, you drink that stuff everyday." Renji murmured. Rukia glared at him. "Well sorry. I don't like drinking water, and I only drink soda if I go out to eat, so this is what I drink." Rukia muttered. Renji always said the worst things at the wrong time.

Thus another reason not go on a date with him.

"Sorry, well anyways, tomorrow is going to be extremely busy. Yamamoto's coming to do an inspection of the building, so we might have to stay late tonight." All four of them groaned.

"Weren't there some electricity problems earlier?" Hinamori asked. Renji nodded.

"Yah, but they should have it all fixed by tonight. It's only in a certain part anyways." Renji stated.

The room suddenly grew silent, and everyone looked up as a strange man passed through the room. He had silver hair, and the strangest smile Rukia had ever seen, far worse than Aizen's.

Behind him was an extremely curvy looking woman with golden wavy hair. She wore a tight knee length skirt, and a top that was a little too low cut for a woman with a chest her size.

They passed through the room quickly and quietly, and by the time they left, the talking had already emerged.

"Who was that?" Rukia asked. Hinamori, Renji, and Inoue all looked surprised.

"You don't know who that was?" Hinamori asked. Rukia stared at them blankly. "That was Ichimaru Gin. He holds the same position as Aizen at the other branch. They meet every few months to discuss things." Renji told her.

"And the woman was Matsumoto Rangiku, his assistant, much like how Kurosaki-san is to Aizen. All four of them actually, meet together." Hinamori finished.

Rukia just shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, now that you say their names I know who they are, but I hadn't ever seen them before." She replied. Inoue smiled.

"It's ok; I didn't know who they were at first either." The girl said sweetly.

Lunch went by faster than Rukia wanted it to, and when they all stood to leave, Renji put a hand on Rukia's shoulder, surprising her.

"Oh, you scared me!" Rukia exclaimed. Renji laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to remind you —"

"Renji I know, about the date. Will you _stop_ already?" Rukia muttered, cutting him off.

"About the November files. I wanted you to make copies for me so I could show Yamamoto-san." Renji finished.

"Oh, right, yah, I'll bring them to you at the end of the day." Rukia said softly. Renji smirked at her, and walked away, not breathing out another word.

She was glad that Hinamori and Inoue were gone, because she for some reason blushed as she walked back to her room. Not because of it being Renji, but because of what she said.

It embarrassed her to a great degree.

"I can't even talk to Renji anymore without thinking he's going to bite my head off about the date. Maybe I should just get it over with and go out with him." She whispered to herself. Why not? She could simply call it a friendly outing while he called it a date, no hurt in that right?

She was glad to be back in her office. It was always on those busy days that Rukia could get caught up in her work, and concentrate solely on that.

Rukia did feel disappointment however, when 5:30 rolled around, and she wasn't close to getting anything finished.

Hinamori dropped by her room. "You still have a lot to do?" Hinamori asked. Rukia nodded at her with irritation.

"Yep, it looks like I'll be here for another hour or so." Rukia muttered back. Hinamori patted the girl's shoulder.

"Well hey; I'm almost done, so if you need any help, just call for me."

Rukia smiled at the girl. Hinamori really was a great friend. "Thanks, but don't worry about it, I'd rather put the burden on myself." Rukia replied. Hinamori laughed and walked out of Rukia's office, leaving her alone.

An hour and a half later, Rukia had finally cleaned up her office, and had the copies Renji needed made. "Hopefully he's still here." She thought to herself.

At Rukia's first orientation for Seireitei Inc., she was told about Yamamoto's "inspections". Not only did he check on how the progress of each employee was doing, he swept through every office, speculating just about everything.

Rukia closed her office door behind her, and headed to the elevator.

The _elevator_.

The branch of Seireitei Inc. that Rukia worked at went up about twenty stories, and Renji's floor was on the nineteenth. Luckily, she only worked on the second floor so she didn't have to travel too much.

Rukia's claustrophobia was pretty bad, especially on elevators. She would have taken the stairs, but seeing at how exhausted she already was, taking the elevator was her only chance.

Rukia took in deep breaths as she waited for the elevator to reach her level, and it felt like eternity.

"_Ding!"_ The elevator sounded. As the door opened, Rukia double-checked to make sure her files were all intact for Renji. Rukia refused to go on the elevator more than she needed to.

She finally looked up, and nearly froze.

There was only one other person on that elevator, and for some reason, Rukia's eyes landed straight on his ring.

Kurosaki Ichigo looked extremely irritated, and after realizing she wasn't moving onto the elevator, stepped aboard.

She literally considered walking back off the elevator, making some excuse about forgetting something, and traveling onto the next one.

But the door closed too quickly.

A silence like never before fell into the cold and shabby elevator, and Rukia thought she could even hear elevator music, whether it was really her mind playing a trick on her or not.

When the elevator began to move, Rukia flinched and placed her hands on the side rail. "Why does he have to be on here?" Rukia thought to herself as she stared at the man now in front of her.

His hands were shoved into his pockets with his back slouched just slightly. Rukia took a glance up and squinted. His dark blue shirt and blinding bright hair didn't mix well together at all.

Suddenly, with one ridiculous jolt, the lights to the elevator went out, and the strange tugging feeling a person felt when moving on an elevator stopped.

On instinct, Rukia screamed. Not only was she claustrophobic, but terrified of pitch blackness.

When she heard deep breathing next to her, she remembered that she wasn't alone. "What happened?" Rukia whispered.

"Don't know. Looks like the electricity went out right here." Ichigo told her. She was glad he couldn't see her.

Rukia's face held surprise and she knew it. Did he really actually sound like a normal human being?

"Oh, that's right. They're working on it right now." Rukia's voice sounded extremely shaky, and her breathing started getting shallow.

"You ok?" He asked.

Rukia was flabbergasted. Her mind fluttered to the masquerade ball. Ichigo had just asked her the exact same question from at the ball.

"Um, yah, I'm just extremely claustrophobic." Rukia replied weakly again. She was sitting down with her knees pulled up to her chest. "Say something dufus!" She said to herself.

If she didn't talk to him, than she would only further freak out. Talking was the only thing that would help in her situation.

"How long do you think we'll be in here?" She asked. Ichigo was silent for a while.

"Don't really know, but it shouldn't be too long." His voice sounded cold still, but it held slight tension.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?" He muttered, causing Rukia to tense up. She was always nervous around him, but never afraid.

"Your ring that I found, where did you get it?" She had been curious about it, wondering why he wore it. Rukia also hoped his answer would give her some sort of clue to the ball.

"Somebody gave it to me." Was all he replied.

So much for a good clue…

Rukia tried standing up, which was a big mistake.

The elevator jolted right as she stood and she flew back onto the ground, bringing the only other person down with her.

"Sorry…" Rukia whispered, finding it hard to get off of him considering she couldn't see a thing. She got a grip on his shoulders, and tried pushing herself off.

Ichigo tried helping her up too, but by the time she was off of him, the elevator jolted another time, causing Rukia to scream again.

"It's ok." Ichigo whispered to her aggravated. She kept her head on his chest, afraid the elevator was going to shake at any second.

Slowly, Ichigo placed his hands on her shoulders, and helped her sit up. "Thank you." She told him.

Rukia wished she could have seen his expression, because he was actually being descent. Seeing his face would have been priceless…

Out of no where, Rukia felt a large amount of heat. "Why is it so hot all the sudden?" She asked, removing her jacket.

"It gets hot fast when the air conditioner doesn't work, especially on this elevator no doubt."

Rukia's breathing was getting shallower, and she hoped she didn't hyperventilate soon. "I need to get out of here." Rukia whispered.

"No kiddin." Ichigo muttered back. Rukia scooted away from him, and sat in the corner, fanning herself.

"Look, I already told you, I'm claustrophobic. I can't talk too much either due to my breathing, so can you keep my mind distracted by talking to me or something?" Rukia asked. It was a doubtful thing to hope for, considering whom he was, but she knew it would help.

Silence filled the small elevator once again.

"You really can't think of a single thing to say?" Rukia asked.

:"It looks like you can talk just fine." He replied back coldly.

She quickly heard what sounded like a shirt unbuttoning. "Wha-what are you doing?" Rukia asked nervously.

"It's hot, so I'm taking my shirt off."

Even with all the heat around her, nothing could compare to what her cheeks felt like.

"How can you be calm right now?" Rukia asked.

"I'm not claustrophobic or afraid of the dark, and I can breath." He said sarcastically. Rukia rolled her eyes, knowing it wouldn't do any good.

She heard some shuffling next to her, and saw a black blur moving towards the door.

"What are you doing now?" Rukia asked, coughing slightly towards the end. He didn't respond, so Rukia stood and moved next to him slowly.

"I'm gonna try to get this door open, so we can at least get some more air for now." Rukia could now see him a little better.

Ichigo was pulling at the ends of the door with his hand, trying to pry it open. "That's not going to work." Rukia stated.

He ignored her and kept trying, but as Rukia predicted, the door didn't budge one bit.

"Come on, you're a guy. Isn't there anything in here for like an emergency?" Rukia asked.

Without seeing his face, Rukia knew his scowl was probably deeper than ever, and she felt amusement.

"No, there isn't a single thing. If only we had a bar or something to get the door open." Ichigo turned to look at the side rail.

"I wonder if we can get this off…" Ichigo whispered, gripping the side rail. Rukia shook her head, and leaned against the wall.

"It isn't going to wor —"

Rukia tumbled again onto the floor as the elevator shook for the third or fourth time.

"Hey, what was that?" Ichigo asked. Apparently he had heard the sound the side rail made when Rukia's head made contact with it.

Rukia could only groan and keep her eyes glued shut. There was a sharp pain at the back of her head, and she hoped she wasn't bleeding.

"Rukia-san?" When Rukia didn't respond, she could hear faint shuffling coming towards her.

"I—hit—my—head." Rukia moaned out slowly.

"You hit your _head_?" Ichigo asked in a very concerned tone.

Rukia felt fingers slide underneath her head. "I'm just setting your head down onto the ground, if you've gotten a concussion, then you shouldn't move it. Are you tired?" He asked.

"A l-little." Rukia squeezed out.

"Well don't fall asleep. You could go into a coma." Rukia wasn't stupid, she knew how that sort of thing worked. His fingers continued to go over her head cautiously.

"I don't think you're bleeding, but don't try to move your head." How did he know so much about this sort of thing anyhow?

"You don't happen to have your cell phone do you?" He asked.

"Uh-uh." She replied, trying to keep her mind focused. Rukia was starting to feel claustrophobic again, and the pain was only making it worse.

"I n-need to get o-out of here." She whined. Tears were going to come soon, and she really didn't want to cry in front of him of all people.

"Look, I'll try to get the other side rail off, so just stay there. Don't move." Rukia didn't bother to look as Ichigo moved to the other rail.

Several seconds later, the lights turned back on, and the elevator was moving again. Rukia closed her eyes at first from the brightness, but when a shadow blocked the light, she opened them.

Kurosaki Ichigo was leaning over her again. "I can see much better now." He mumbled to her as his fingers once again moved across her head.

"Ow!" Rukia yelped. "Is this the spot?" He asked.

"Yes!" She squealed. Ichigo smirked, _smirked_.

"Alright, well there's just a big bump, so I think you'll be ok." Ichigo helped her sit up.

"Thank you." She whispered. The elevator door opened, and some construction workers and Seireitei employees were standing outside the doorway.

"Are you two alright?" One of the construction workers asked. Ichigo nodded, and turned back to Rukia.

She had déjà vu all over again as he held his right hand out to her. Rukia stared at his ring, just like before, and took his hand.

Ichigo caught her before she fell, and helped her off the elevator. Rukia slowly lifted her head and saw Hinamori in the crowd.

"Rukia-san! What happened?" Hinamori exclaimed looking back from Ichigo to Rukia curiously.

"She hit her head on the side rail when the elevator shook, but she should be ok." Ichigo stated.

"Are you sure we don't need to get her to the emergency room?" Hinamori asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"No, she'll be alright. She just needs to go home and rest." Ichigo looked at Rukia, before walking away.

And then Rukia noticed what he was wearing.

The only shirt he wore was a white wife beater, and as she looked at the other employees, they all looked at her suspiciously, whispering to one another.

"What do they all think happened?" Rukia thought.

Realization sunk into her mind of how their situation looked. How would it have looked to her? Coming out of an elevator, being trapped for who knows how long, barely wearing a shirt, all sweaty...

Too many things at once hit Rukia, and for the second time in the past week, she lost consciousness.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Wow, Rukia must have some really weak ankles!! Haha But hey, if I had gone through everything she just went through (with her head hitting metal) and then realized what the scene probably looked like, I probably would have passed out too…

ANWAYS, what did you think? I really liked writing this chapter, because there was lots of Ichi/Ruki interaction. But how did you feel about it? Was it too much? I don't think so, considering something crazy like that could really happen (to them at least...)

So do me a super duper favor, and **review!!!** I wanted to put the elevator scene from part one of this story, but I wasn't sure of when. I hope it didn't seem too soon, having that sort of interaction, but Ichigo, cold or not, would react in that sort of way, because he naturally likes to help people (even in AU stories.) And don't think that just because Rukia was caught on an elevator with him that she's going to notice any weird feelings for him. We still have a while to go with this, and _plenty_ of cold Ichigo moments to come!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!


	6. Ch5:  Rude Awakening

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Alright people, I had a seriously HORRIBLE week. My brother went to the emergency room because of a nasty stomach bug he had, and it was extremely stressful (He's ok now though). Can you please make me feel a little better and be sure to review? Because that would mean the world to me!! Anyways, thanks to all the reviews for the last chapter, you people simply amaze me!

This chapter is dedicated to anyone who had a sucky week like me, so enjoy!!

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.5 Rude Awakening**

For the second time that week, Rukia opened her eyes completely unaware of where she was. "H-Hinamori?" She asked, seeing the girl sitting next to her.

"Seriously, what is up with you fainting all the time?" Hinamori asked concerned.

Rukia would have said something, but the pounding pain she felt on her head caused her to lose all capability of speaking.

"Here, take this." Hinamori demanded, handing her some medicine and a cup of water.

"Do you remember what happened?" Hinamori asked.

"Yah, I do." Rukia mumbled. Unlike last time, when she had woken up completely lost, she knew well and clear why she had fainted the moment her eyes opened.

"Let's get you home then." Hinamori said, helping Rukia up slowly. "How long was I out this time?" Rukia asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

"About fifteen minutes." Hinamori replied. Rukia's eyes widened. "I'm surprised you didn't call the ambulance!" She exclaimed weakly.

Hinamori smiled. "Kurosaki-san said you would be alright, you just needed to rest. He saw you faint, and came back to make sure you were still ok."

"He did?" Rukia asked, rather surprised. "Yep, now let me drive you home."

Hinamori assisted a stubborn Rukia to her car, and helped her into the passenger seat. The whole time, Hinamori looked about ready to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Rukia asked. Hinamori chuckled. "It's not really funny, just more like, extremely interesting." Hinamori replied.

"What?" Rukia asked impatiently.

"How do I get to your house Rukia-san?" Hinamori said, changing the subject. For the rest of the way home, Rukia directed Hinamori to her apartment, which wasn't too difficult to find.

"Want to come up for a little while?" Rukia asked. Hinamori nodded. "Sure. I don't want you fainting the minute you get inside your apartment." Hinamori mocked.

Rukia rolled her eyes and the two made it to her apartment.

"Now what is so interesting?" Rukia asked before either of them sat down. "Renji," Hinamori replied.

Rukia sighed. "What's so interesting about _him_?"

"Rukia-san, you really are harsh." Hinamori teased.

"Ok, so tell me what is so amusing about Renji then?" Rukia stated, finally sinking into her couch.

"He was jealous." Hinamori said.

"He was? Why? It was just Kurosaki-san after all." Rukia mumbled. Hinamori looked skeptically at her.

"What happened exactly?" Hinamori questioned.

Rukia sighed, and explained everything in great detail what occurred. From the elevator stopping, all the way to banging her head into a side rail.

"I don't believe you. Kurosaki-san? Our boss?" Hinamori asked. Rukia nodded.

"Yah, it was really weird. He acted totally concerned about me and everything. I hate to admit it, but he was actually nice." Rukia muttered out.

"Wow." Hinamori stated.

"I don't want to go to work tomorrow. Did you see the looks people gave me? I can only imagine what they all thought after seeing Kurosaki-san barely wearing a shirt all sweaty, and me looking completely light-headed."

Those thoughts were just plain and simply _wrong_.

And then, there was a tugging feeling in her chest. She remembered what he said to her, and how he acted.

"_You ok?" _Was his first question, which had been the question her Prince Charming asked her at the ball. He even started relaxing around her, which gave her the idea that he perhaps had a normal personality.

And then, the familiar feeling came of when he helped her out of the elevator, and seeing his ring on the very same finger.

"Rukia-san, are you alright?" Hinamori asked. Rukia nodded her head slowly.

"So, I'm guessing that what people were whispering about and everything caused Renji to get jealous?" Rukia asked.

"He was extremely jealous. When you fainted, he helped me move you to my office. He didn't say a word the whole time, and when we got to my office, he went on a rant about Kurosaki-kun."

Rukia smirked. Why on Earth was Renji jealous? 

"You should give him a chance Rukia-san, he really cares about you." Hinamori told her truthfully. Rukia suddenly felt guilt. Hinamori was right. She was being rude to Renji, but it was just so fun to tease him.

"Yah, I suppose I should. It's just one date, so what damage would it do?" Rukia asked.

Hinamori grinned. "There you go. The poor guy is going nuts. Just let it out of his system, and I'm sure he'll leave you alone after that."

Rukia sure hoped so.

"So, do you agree with me now that Kurosaki-kun is pretty good looking?" Hinamori asked. Rukia closed her eyes and sighed.

"I don't know. I didn't even get a good look at him." Rukia knew she sounded stupid, but it was the truth.

"How could you not when you were trapped in an elevator with him?" Hinamori asked.

"Well, considering it was pitch black, then no, I couldn't. I will admit that he has good shoulders."

Oh no, the words came out terribly wrong, and the look Hinamori gave her made proof of it.

"Are you sure _nothing_ happened?" She asked suspiciously.

"No of course not! Don't you remember me telling you how I fell onto him when the elevator shook? When I tried to get up, I used his shoulders for support and just noticed how defined they were."

The room became silent for a little while, and Hinamori stood up from Rukia's chair.

"Well I better get going. We have to really look nice for tomorrow because of Yamamoto-san coming, so I need to go home and go to bed early." 

Rukia nodded. "Thanks for all the help really. I don't know what I would do without you."

Hinamori grinned. "It's no problem. You don't live too far away from me anyways."

Rukia walked her out the door and waved goodbye to her. When she closed the door behind her she looked at her watch.

"It's 9 o'clock already? But how?" For a moment, Rukia forgot that she had stayed later. How long exactly was she stuck in that elevator anyhow? 

She needed to go to bed if she wanted to get to work. There was no way she could take off the following day.

"Why does Yamamoto-san have to come tomorrow?" Rukia whined. She wouldn't have showered, but remembering how sweaty she got in the elevator, she ran some warm bath water.

So many things kept happening to her, and she was just about ready to snap. "Why me?" She repeated.

What would tomorrow bring her? What would people say? She knew rumors always spread in school, but at work?

Rukia really had no idea, but seeing how there were women and a few men even whispering about her earlier, she figured there would be.

And boy, it was going to be an extremely rude awakening.

The next morning brought another splitting headache. One was located at her forehead while the other at the back, where her head had slammed into the side rail of the elevator.

"I must have a really hard head." She muttered. Getting one of her snazzy and newer suits out, Rukia got ready for her long day.

When she reached her office, the first person to approach her was Renji.

"How do ya feel?" He asked her. Rukia smiled at him, remembering her conversation with Hinamori from the night before.

"Much better. Thanks for helping me to Hinamori's office." Rukia stated. Renji smirked and pulled the files closer to his chest.

"Hey, if you need anything, just let me know." Renji said, and turned a corner, waving goodbye to her.

"Renji!" Rukia called out, watching him turn around.

"What?" He asked back.

"This Friday, you pick where we go." She yelled to him. Renji was confused at first, but it soon dawned on him at what she meant.

"Alright, I will." He said, grinning from ear to ear. Rukia laughed a little and headed to her office.

She smiled when she found her office spotless. "That's right, I cleaned it yesterday." Rukia set her things down and turned her computer on. There were still a few files she needed to enter into the computer from the day before.

About fifteen minutes later, there was a knock on her door. "Come in." Rukia said, keeping her eyes focused on her monitor.

"Kuchiki-san, can I have a word with you?" Aizen asked.

Rukia stood quickly, dropping the pen in her hand. "Of course." Rukia replied nervously. Aizen Sousuke had never once come into her office.

"I heard what happened yesterday with the elevator incident, are you ok?" He asked kindly. Rukia grinned.

"Yes, I'm just fine. Kurosaki-san was a big help." Rukia replied.

"Kurosaki-san helped you? What do you mean?" Aizen asked, confused. Rukia furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh, well I hit my head when the elevator jolted, and he made sure I was ok." Rukia told him.

"That's strange, Kurosaki never mentioned anything about it." Aizen replied. His eyes looked wary, but he looked up at Rukia again, smiling.

"Well that's good to here. I'm glad both of you are safe. I'll probably see you later than when Yamamoto-san comes. Have a good day." Rukia smiled and bowed slightly as Aizen left.

"Why didn't he say anything to Aizen about it?" Rukia wondered. The day moved along slowly, and lunch brought up lots of challenges.

Just about every person in the lounge looked at Rukia curiously, and it sort of drove her nuts.

"Hinamori-san?" Rukia whispered when she took her seat. Hinamori looked up from her food.

"Yah what?"

"Is it just me, or is everyone staring at me strangely?"

Hinamori grinned sadly. "I don't think it's wise to discuss _that_ here right now."

Rukia only felt further aggravation. Inoue and Renji joined the two seconds later, Renji looking more delighted than ever.

"How has everyone's day been going?" Inoue asked happily. Rukia, finding Inoue's optimism rather relaxing at the moment, grinned back.

"Just getting ready for Yamamoto-san to come. Has he gotten to any of your offices yet?" Rukia asked.

Hinamori nodded. "He came to mine this morning, and it wasn't bad at all. He took a quick glance around my office, smiled, and walked out."

"Same with me." Renji stated. Rukia sighed.

"That's good to know, because I was sort of freaking out." Rukia muttered. Inoue giggled.

"Not that I really have an office, but he hasn't come to me yet either. He's working from top to bottom, which means I'll probably be last." Inoue said with a little glum.

"I bet he won't care by the end of the day from looking at so many rooms. So don't worry." Hinamori said reassuringly. She then turned her attention to Rukia.

"Have you thanked him yet?" She asked.

"Thanked who?"

Hinamori rolled her eyes. "Kurosaki-san!"

Rukia nodded her head. "I already thanked him." She told Hinamori firmly. Hinamori shook her head.

"You didn't mention to me about thanking him at all."

"I thanked him when we were on the elevator." Rukia muttered back. Hinamori looked unsatisfied.

"You really should go and properly thank him. It isn't like him to act so uncommonly nice to a person after all." Hinamori spat out. Rukia sighed again.

"Fine, if it makes you feel better then I'll go thank him." Rukia said, taking a bite of her lunch.

"You might want to go do it now, before you forget. He's probably on his lunch break anyways." Hinamori told her.

Inoue and Renji were both silent throughout the entire conversation. Renji looked ready to say something foul, but kept his mouth closed none the less.

"That's right, he was jealous!" Rukia quickly remembered. Even if it was Renji of all people, just hearing about someone being jealous over her made her feel somewhat good about herself.

"Thank who?" Inoue asked.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Oh that's right, I heard something about an elevator breaking down or something and you and Kurosaki-kun were stuck on it. What happened exactly anyways?" Inoue asked, not having the sweet smile from before. Rukia took a large sip of her strawberry lemonade before speaking again.

"I got stuck on an elevator with him for about fifteen minutes, and when I hit my head pretty hard on the side rail when the elevator shook, he helped me."

Inoue looked surprised, but replaced it with a grin.

"That's really nice of him." Were the only words she replied with. After Hinamori kept nagging her more to go talk to Ichigo, Rukia stood and walked out of the lounge.

"What do I say to him?" She thought as she turned down different hallways. Rukia nervously walked to his office, which wasn't too far away from hers.

"Hey, Kuchiki-san, can I ask you something?" A woman asked. Rukia turned around slowly, kind of surprised to see Yoruichi Shihouhin standing in the hallway, talking to her.

She was Yamamoto-san's great niece.

"Yes? What is it?" Rukia asked calmly. She had only spoken to Yoruichi once, and though the woman had a mysterious quirk, she was generally a nice person.

"Well, I just heard some strange rumors, about you and Kurosaki-san." Yoruichi stated with a smirk on her face.

"Whatever you heard, I'm sure it's wrong." Rukia said, and turned away. She knew there were rumors floating around, and she didn't want to know what the details inquired. At least not as she walked to speak to the cause of the rumors, and quite possibly all of her hopes, doubts, and nightmares.

His office didn't seem quite as cold as it had last time when she had spoken to him, but then again, the weather was sunny outside.

Rukia took a deep breath, and knocked on his door. "Come in." His voice answered, just as coldly as ever.

She walked into his luxurious office, and stood at the foot of his desk. Ichigo raised his head, and didn't move it back to whatever he was previously working on.

"Yes?" He asked. She could hear the irritation, but it seemed a little relaxed.

"Well, I just came to thank you for everything you did last night." Rukia said, hoping her words struck the right nerve.

Ichigo looked away from her, and to a wall. "Sure." He replied.

Something in Rukia stirred, and she felt annoyance at the man. "Well not just for my head, but for keeping me calm when I was really freaking out."

Rukia wanted him to smile or something, but she supposed that even with an experience like being trapped on an elevator alone for fifteen minutes didn't make too much of a difference.

For a guy like him it didn't in any case.

Ichigo didn't even say anything the second time, but just nodded, scowling. Rukia smiled, bowed out of respect, and turned to leave.

The walk out of his office felt like eternity, and suddenly something struck her chest deep, something made her head spin, and something made her stomach crawl with butterflies.

"My earring." She whispered. Yes, at the edge of one of his side tables closest to her was a dark blue earring, her dark blue earring to be exact.

She now had the last evidence in confirming who her prince was. Almost being blown away by how easy it was to find the last clue, Rukia didn't feel too much surprise. She had a lot of evidence to it being him before, and seeing her earring only further proved it.

Before Rukia could even shudder, cry, scream, or react in any sort of way to knowing the final truth, Ichigo's voice pierced through her ears.

"Rukia-san, since you're just standing there, can you run this to the copy room for me? I need 400 made, and I need it in the next ten minutes." Ichigo muttered to her.

Her new found discovery shattered to pieces, and she could only nod without facing him, because if she had, she might scare the living daylights out of him with her painfully furious face.

The rest of the week past in a blur, and to Rukia's luck, she didn't see too much of her boss, but she knew it wouldn't last too long. When Friday finally came, Rukia hustled her way out of the building, knowing good and well that Kurosaki Ichigo had the tendency to catch her right before she would walk out the door.

The weekend passed by pretty slowly, and Rukia felt grateful. She needed to rest and catch up on chores. She had a ton of things to do: grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, and reading.

In all honesty, Rukia loved it. There was something about getting errands ran, cleaning, and perhaps feeling personally responsible, that made Rukia like doing housework much more than her job.

Of course, the whole weekend, chores or not, was spent on thinking about her boss, and how he could have seriously been the one at the ball.

"Why did I do it? Why did I kiss that guy?"

Rukia refused,_ refused_, to say the name of the man. Just because she had proof of who the guy was, didn't mean she was going to compare.

She always claimed to be a careful girl, and yet, she carelessly kissed a complete stranger, who very well no matter how nice he was to her that night, could have been some sort of rapist or some pervert, like the first guy she had danced with. Rukia couldn't find a reason to why she did it, and she supposed it would become some strange unsolved mystery.

And once again, she thought of him. She didn't know why it kept happening, but she felt a shimmer of warmth in knowing that even if she kissed a total stranger at a ball held for her company, at least someone that night, drunk or not, obviously had some sort of attraction to her.

Now, understanding that her boss, Kurosaki Ichigo, had been the one to do it, only gave her the idea that he was completely drunk, and somehow held his alcohol well while at the same time being more outgoing and kind.

"I really hope next week is better than the previous." Rukia whispered to herself. The last week had been pretty bad, considering she fainted/passed out twice, got stuck on an elevator, found out the devil was her Prince Charming, and was now dealing with ridiculous rumors.

"What could possibly be worse than all of that?" She muttered. Rukia knew she shouldn't have asked the question, but really, what could.

She would quickly learn that the words she laughed and joked about were going to turn around and bite her in the butt.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: ** I made that really easy for Rukia, didn't I? Haha, so now there's exact proof that it's him!! And don't worry, even though she now knows it's him, its not going to be easy on her. Its going to take time to process through her mind that he IS her Prince Charming. I know this chapter was just a bunch of talking, but like I said, its kind of a slow moving story. Things will start picking up soon. I'm really trying my best here on this story because I like writing it so much, and because of the reviews I'm receiving. I really don't want to let you guys down!

**Review!** As the writer its hard for me to see my weak points, so you as the reader, are the ones that can!! Let me know (kindly) and I'll work hard on them. And hey, if you think my writing is good then let me know so I'm encouraged! How about like 30-40 reviews and I'll update quick! Next chapter is Rukia and Renji's date!!

LOVE YOU ALL!! PS- If the ending sounded kind of rushed, I'm sorry. I decided to take out the next chapter (because it was sort of pointless I decided) but there were some important thoughts in it, so I put them at the end. I hope it sounds ok!! (Sorry for my ridiculously long author thoughts!!)


	7. Ch6: Big Date

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Ok, so I'm so pathetic. I make this threat that I won't update for a while if I reach my 30 reviews and I cave. (Though 20 is pretty good, especially since the last chapter wasn't all too great anyways…). Aren't I nice? Well this chapter should be fairly interesting, considering what happens and all. Next update won't be until Friday, sorry peeps. I'm going to literally make cookies for you guys, or brownies or something, and I'll take pictures, so you guys can see proof, because I love you all that much.

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.6 Big Date**

Rukia for the millionth time in the past few months slammed her things into her purse, getting ready to head home for the day..

"That jerk, I just can't believe —" Rukia couldn't even finish her sentence, for there were no words to describe how angry she was.

Just as she had anticipated, her haunting words of "What could possibly be worse than the previous week?" attacked her with full force.

First of all, Rukia unexpectedly was visited by Aunt May (a.k.a time of the month for women.) Second, because of the electricity problems not being fixed, all of Rukia's files on her computer were somehow deleted. Third, people still talked about her and Ichigo, and the strange elevator occurrence. Honestly, that was completely old news, even to her. The only reason being because she didn't like to think about it.

And finally, the fourth reason, probably the most expected reason of all, was Kurosaki Ichigo, and how much of a monster he was.

She had hoped that the stupid elevator experience would have opened his eyes a little more, but boy was Rukia hoping for way too much.

Rukia sometimes thought Ichigo had more malice than Satan, literally!

_Flash back_

"_Kurosaki-san, all of my files have been deleted, but I think I saved them on another computer." Rukia explained to him._

_Ichigo shook his head, keeping his eyes glued to his computer._

"_No, sorry, they weren't. And honestly, you should have known better to keep printed copies incase something like this ever happened. It's in the Seireitei Inc. hand book. Do I need to get it out and read it to you?"_

"_I understand, but they were very recent, and the printing and copy machines weren't working."_

"_It was working yesterday, so why didn't you print it then?" He asked, the annoyance in his voice heavier than usual._

"_So what would you like me to do then?" Rukia asked, ignoring his other question. He was being extremely cold, even for him._

"_Redo them, all of them." _

_Rukia's eyes widened. That was, impossible._

"_But sir, all of those reports took weeks to do. How do you expect me to —"_

"_Not my problem. Sorry, but I'm extremely busy. I'll give you until Friday to finish all of them, and be sure to get all of your other work done as well." _

_It was Wednesday, so how was she supposed to get them all finished? Rukia's hands were clenched tightly into fists._

"_And Rukia-san, one more thing." She heard his cold voice say. Rukia turned her head only slightly, not looking at him._

"_Yes?" She asked, knowing her voice held its anger._

"_I don't want to hear of this kind of problem again." _

_Rukia closed the door right after the words left his mouth, not bothering to show any respect to him. He didn't deserve any after all._

She brushed down the hallway, trying to get home quickly. "Rukia!" She heard Renji's voice yell.

Rukia turned to him, trying to look calm. She had a date with him in the next few hours, so she had to at least look a little presentable, even before the actual date.

"Rough day?" He asked obviously noticing her tension.

"You could say that…" She muttered, and turned to walk. Rukia didn't feel like hearing Renji's bantering, at least if he was going to bring up what kind of mood she looked to be in.

"Anyways, just reminding you that I'll be picking you up at—"

"Seven, yah I know. I'll be ready." She grinned at him, and turned out of the doors, ready to go home.

An hour and a half later, Rukia was looking over her outfit, just to make sure it looked alright.

Even if it was a date with Renji, she wanted to dress up a little. Wearing a cute casual dress always lightened a mood for her, and she didn't want to let Renji down.

They were going to some fancy Italian restaurant, and then to a local concert. It sounded fun, even if Rukia didn't know the band playing.

When there was a knock on her door, Rukia stood from her couch, making sure to have essential "woman" items in case anything turned ugly, and walked to the door.

"Hey Renji." Rukia said smiling. He really looked nice. Casual, but a little dressy, sort of like her.

"You look great." He told her, staring at her purple dress. She didn't have a lot of purple things, so she figured she would be a little different that night.

"Alright, well let's go then. Our dinner reservations are at 7:30." Renji told her, escorting her out of her house.

"Wow, dinner reservations?" Rukia asked sarcastically. Renji rolled his eyes and walked her to his car.

"How the heck can you afford a Nissan GT-R?" Rukia asked, kind of surprised.

"I get a car allowance with my pay check." He told her, obviously looking proud of his own set of wheels. Rukia shook her head smiling, and sat down into the leather interior vehicle.

The car started moving before Rukia realized it, and she looked at the people walking on the sidewalks.

"So how was your week?" Renji asked.

Was he _serious_?

"Do you really want to go there?" Rukia asked. Renji laughed.

"I don't know why Kurosaki-san picks on you like that." He told her.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, puzzled by the question.

"He's pretty nice to me. I mean, no, he doesn't say a whole lot, but he's not a jerk, like you make him out to be."

Wasn't Renji the guy who was jealous of Ichigo because of the stupid elevator encounter? Now he was sticking up for the guy?

"I'm not lying. He's harsh to me, and you know it! Weren't you the one complaining along with me as you helped redo the files that he was being ludicrous?" Rukia asked.

Renji nodded. "That's my point, I don't understand why he's like that to you."

"Maybe he's sexist or something." Rukia mumbled. Renji shook his head.

"No, Hinamori and Inoue said he wasn't so bad to them either."

Rukia turned to look at Renji in utter shock. "Hinamori-san agreed with me that he is rude!" Rukia nearly shouted.

"Calm down. He might have just been mad because of the files, not you."

"I'll admit that he was a little over the board with this one, but he's _always_ been rude." Rukia muttered. She wanted Renji to stop feeding excuses to her, because they weren't going to work.

"How about we not talk about him anymore alright?" Renji asked. Rukia noticed the car had stopped, and was now sitting in the parking lot of the restaurant. People around them were making their way inside the restaurant, and Rukia sighed, knowing she needed to calm down.

"Come on, the food here is amazing." Renji told her as he took her hand to help her out. He didn't let go either as they walked to the entrance.

"Reservations for Abarai Renji." Renji told the hostess. She looked down at a sheet of paper, nodded, and moved them to a table. Renji still held onto her hand, but Rukia let it slide, considering she wasn't sure where their table was anyways.

"Wow, this has a great view!" Rukia exclaimed, looking out the window as they sat down at their table..

The sun was setting, casting a silhouette look out in the distance. Rukia tore her eyes away when the waiter approached the two.

"What would you like to drink?" He asked. Renji gave him his order, which was some sort of light liquor.

"And you Miss?" The waiter asked politely.

"Strawberry lemonade." She told him. The man wrote down the order, and turned away.

"First you make strawberry lemonade, and now you drink it at restaurants? You really like the stuff don't you?" Renji asked chuckling.

"I don't know why I like it so much, but I never get sick of it." Rukia replied, trying to defend her love for the drink.

"What time is the concert at?" Rukia asked. Renji glanced at his watch. "It starts at 9, so we have plenty of time."

Rukia nodded and relaxed into her chair further. The waiter came back with their drinks minutes later.

"Can I start you off with any appetizers?" The man asked. Renji looked at Rukia, asking her if she wanted any, Rukia shook her head.

"Ah, no thanks. You ready to order Rukia?" Renji asked. Rukia glanced down at her menu, not having a clue of what anything meant.

"No, I don't." She said. The waiter nodded, told them he would be back in a few minutes, and walked away.

"You said you've eaten here before, what's good?" Rukia asked. Renji looked down at his menu.

"I haven't been here a whole lot, but the Chicken Carbonera is good. Try that." Rukia looked down at what he was talking about.

Rukia had only been to Italian restaurants several times in her life, and every meal she had she liked.

"Alright, I'll try that." Rukia said grinning. When the waiter returned, they gave the man their orders.

The food came quickly, and the eating began. "Just like I thought, this is amazing." Rukia stated as she took another bite.

"I'm glad you like it." Renji replied. She looked up at him to see him smiling, which caused her to smile.

Rukia was feeling much, much better than how she did earlier, and she knew a lot of it was Renji's doing. Just seeing the happiness on his face made her beam slightly.

"He's being so nice." Rukia thought. Though Renji was always pretty nice, what she meant was he wasn't saying the wrong thing at the wrong time, which he had a tendency to do.

He was being a real gentleman, and Rukia liked that, unlike a certain boss of hers—

No, Rukia wasn't, refused, to think about him at the moment. She didn't want to think of him at all anymore. With the way he acted to her, and how it seems to only be her, Rukia had a feeling he just simply didn't like her.

Rukia sighed, and took another bite of her delicious cuisine. If she didn't stop her ridiculous thoughts quickly, her date would be over much sooner than she wanted, at least for her it would.

The two ate and chatted lightly as they sat at the restaurant. Renji told her about growing up as an only child, and how crazy his parents were.

Rukia laughed, and Renji only told more stories.

"Is it true that you have a twin sister?" Renji asked. Rukia nodded.

"Yah, her name is Hisana, and she's great. She works for the fashion industry." Rukia told him.

"Any other siblings?" Renji asked.

"Just one, Byakuya. He's kind of hard to keep in touch with since he's so busy, but he did call me on my birthday."

Renji looked kind of surprised, but nodded. "So, Kuchiki Byakuya? The guy that practically owns Zangetsu Corp.?"

Rukia smirked. "Yep, that's the one." Renji glanced at his watch quickly, and looked back up at Rukia.

"So how come you don't work for him? I mean, wouldn't you do a lot better there?" Renji asked.

Rukia shrugged her shoulders. "I applied for the place, but all the positions were filled, so I took the job for Seireitei Inc. I'm just trying to get experience for my resume so I can move up little by little. I would really like to work for my brother though; he's really a good guy, even if he doesn't say a lot of things."

Renji nodded at her words, looking somewhat interested.

"Do you want to get desert?" He asked her. Rukia rubbed her full stomach.

"I don't think I can handle anymore food." Rukia whined. Renji chuckled, and when the waiter came by again, he paid for the bill.

"Ok, so who is this band playing?" Rukia asked. She had never gone to a concert in Karakura.

"They're called the Howling Zabimarus. They're name makes them sound like a heavy metal band, but they're more alternative." Renji stated as he turned down a street.

Honestly, Rukia didn't know the different classes of rock music.

It rather sounded good or it didn't.

They pulled up to the over crowded parking lot and exited the car. "Come on, I have to get the tickets." Renji told her as they made their way to the building.

Rukia was shocked at how short the ticket line was, considering the amount of people attending. It literally looked like the whole town showed up for the concert.

"These things are popular aren't they?" Rukia asked. Renji handed her the ticket.

"Yah, Karakura makes a lot of money this way." 

"Did everyone already buy tickets or something?" Rukia asked.

"A lot of people come so often that most just buy season passes. I have one too, but you don't." Renji told her pulling out his golden season pass card. After paying for the ticket, Renji and Rukia made their way to the crowd.

An old geezer took Rukia's ticket, staring way too much at her chest (which made her want to laugh since her assets were pretty small in the first place), and the two headed inside.

"Wow," Rukia said, smiling at seeing so many people. "Where are our seats at?" Rukia asked. Renji pointed towards the stage.

"Front row, center." Renji replied. Rukia suddenly felt confused.

"Aren't the front row seats usually sold out? How did you get me a front row ticket?" Rukia asked.

Renji smiled. "Don't worry about it; let's just say I have some good connections."

Rukia shrugged her shoulders and followed him to the front row. Unlike the back, where people had been loud and screaming, the front was quiet.

"I like to call the people up here snobby, because they think that since they're in the front row, they're better than everyone else." Renji told her, probably seeing her look back in forth from the front to the back rows.

"So does that make us snobby?" Rukia asked playfully. Renji smirked, turning down the aisle for the front row.

"Nah, because we appreciate it." He replied. The two sat down in their seats and waited for the band to come out.

Several minutes after being seated, the band came out, and everyone cheered wildly.

Rukia found the lead singer extremely cute, and watched him sing on the stage. She really liked the sound of the music. It wasn't too drastic and crazy, and yet, it had her wanting to jump up and down at the same time.

She saw Renji looking at her from the corner of his eye every once in a while, causing Rukia to smile a little. Why did he like her so much anyways? She was always so rude to him, and yet, he wouldn't leave her alone. Alright, well she hadn't been rude so far that night, and maybe it only encouraged him.

During the intermission, Rukia looked around at the crowd of people.

"Karin! Yuzu! Was daddy right or what?" Rukia heard a man ask.

"I don't know, I don't think the music is that great." Came a girl's voice. Rukia turned her head around to see who the people were, because she was nosy like that. They were just a row behind her.

There were two girls, and an older looking man who appeared to be in his forties or so. "I like it!" The light haired girl squealed.

"_Of course_ you like it Yuzu, why do you always like what dad likes?" The dark haired girl asked.

"I don't like everything dad likes! I hate that tie he wears with all the rainbows!" The two girls and the father(who began stating proudly the reason why he loved his rainbow tie so dearly) started arguing., and Rukia smiled, thinking of her own sister Hisana.

"Dad, here's your popcorn." Came another voice, a deeper voice, an extremely familiar voice…

"Oh thanks son! I can't enjoy a good concert with out it! Karin doesn't seem to like the Howling Zabimarus, what do you think Ichigo?"

Rukia froze. "No way." She muttered. Wanting to know her answer quickly, Rukia turned her head slowly, just enough so that her eyes could see.

And there he was. Orange head glowing in the dark crowd. He looked just like he did at work, except a little more tired.

"I'd rather be at home." Ichigo replied to his father's question.

"Oh come on Ichigo! You're only 24 and you act like an old man! I'm what, 45, and even I like to go out and see concerts!"

Rukia watched Ichigo skeptically, making sure he didn't notice her. So he had younger siblings?

"Shut it." Ichigo replied, and sat down in his seat, propping his elbow up onto the arm of the chair. Even with his family he acted like a jerk, and Rukia wasn't too surprised.

When Ichigo started turning his head towards her, she quickly whirled around.

"Kurosaki-san?" Renji suddenly asked. Rukia tensed up next to him. What the heck was Renji _doing?_

She kept her head forward, hoping he wouldn't see her. It was bad enough that he was actually at the same concert as her, considering just about all of Karakura had attended, but now she had to possibly speak to him?

No, she refused.

Rukia apparently missed the first part of the conversation, because Renji was suddenly pointing at her.

"Yah, I just came to this concert here with Rukia." Renji said, grabbing Rukia's shoulder and turning her around.

Ichigo was still sitting down, but his elbow was by his side now, and he looked a little more relaxed. Rukia smiled at him and nodded, hoping Renji would say something.

"So you like this band?" Renji asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"They're ok I guess."

Renji looked irritated for a second, but grinned. "Eh, they grow on you. I really like them now."

Rukia could tell by Ichigo's facial expression that he wanted Renji to stop talking, and she kind of wanted him to also.

To her luck, the band members ran back out, causing the crowd to cheer and Renji to focus back on the music.

Rukia didn't really pay attention to anything played because her mind was solely on Kurosaki Ichigo, and why he did the things he did.

He drove her, apparently only her, nuts, and she wasn't saying it in any romantic sort of way. Kurosaki Ichigo treated her like scum, and she was determined to find out why.

"Maybe he thinks I _stole_ his ring still." Rukia mumbled.

Even on the way home from the concert, Rukia tuned out Renji's bantering on the band. "I mean seriously, that second chord on the eighth song really threw me for a loop." Renji went on saying.

Rukia nodded along, staring out the window.

He walked her up to her door, and said goodbye. Renji told her about a dinner party coming up for Seireitei Inc., and that a date was required. She agreed to go, basically creating a second date with him.

Renji kissed her on the cheek before waving goodbye. It was strange for him to do something so lightly affectionate, but it was sort of cute at the same time.

Rukia closed her door behind her, and threw herself onto the couch.

"Why did he have to be there? Why did he have to ruin my fun?" She whispered with her head buried into the couch.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Poor Rukia, no matter what she does Ichigo is always there to ruin her good mood!! So, why is he being so mean to her? Is there a real reason? Or does Ichigo just simply not like her? And why is Rukia feeling so bothered by it? (Hmm I wonder…) I know you guys are wondering, when the heck is he going to start getting "nice", but I've got this all figured out, so just trust in me!! This story is completely Rukia's POV, but you'll get a lot of answers from Ichigo later on in the story ok???

**Please review!** I love getting the feedback from you guys and I'm glad you all love my story so much! I love writing it for you all!!


	8. Ch7: Secretary

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Alright, it's Wednesday, and I said I would update on Friday, but guess what, I reached my 30 review goal, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty darn happy. Like... wow. Now, how about 40 reviews, or maybe 50 (that's probably pushing it though…) and I don't know, maybe I'll still update on Friday, if I get a lot of reviews. It's up to you guys I suppose. Really, thank you all so much. It means so much to me that you like my story!!

PS- This chapter was pretty difficult to write. I think I changed it like… three times. I hope it sounds good!! Enjoy!!

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.7 Secretary**

"Hey Rukia-san, Aizen-san wants to talk to you right away." Hinamori said to Rukia in her office.

Rukia nodded and Hinamori left. It was Tuesday, and her week so far was going much better than the previous.

"I wonder what he wants." Rukia thought. After she stacked a pile of papers, she left the room and traveled down one of the long hallways of Seireitei Inc.

People were still whispering about her, and now, she had no idea of why. Were they_still _wrapped up in the stupid elevator drama?

And here she was feeling wretched…

Rukia cringed as she realized Aizen's office was on the twentieth floor. "Should I take the elevator?" She thought looking at the doorway warily.

The previous elevator experience had basically traumatized her further from riding the elevator, but deciding she didn't want to look all sweaty in front of Aizen-san from walking up the stairs, so she chose the elevator.

Slowly, Rukia pushed the down button, waiting for it to come to her. She looked at the top to see the buttons lighting up as the elevator moved through different levels.

And finally, it landed in front of her.

"_Ding!" _It called out, giving Rukia a slight shudder. When the elevator opened, she was glad to see several other people, whom she didn't know at all on the elevator.

Rukia smiled politely at the people as they moved over to allow her in. "What floor?" She asked an older man.

"Twenty." He said. The other three people nodded as well. So, all of them were off to the twentieth floor.

Just like last time, Rukia grabbed the side rail when it shook, signaling its movement. Everyone else looked straight ahead, one guy reading a news paper.

The elevator ride felt like an eternity, and when it finally landed on the twentieth floor, Rukia closed her eyes, remembering she would have to go back down to her floor, and going down was much worse than going up.

She walked off the elevator and began moving to Aizen Sousuke's office. His was the biggest of the whole building.

People all stared at her as she passed, not recognizing someone as insignificant as herself. Rukia ignored their ugly looks and stopped in front of a huge door.

"Kuchiki-san is here to see you." A lady said talking on a phone. About a second later, the lady was pointing towards Aizen's huge office door.

"You can go in now." The lady said with an incredibly fake smile. Rukia nodded and pressed forward, not looking back.

She had only been in his office several times.

Aizen was sitting at his large desk at the end of the narrow office. "Kuchiki-san, I'm so glad you came. Come closer." He said with his warm smile.

Rukia started moving towards his desk, noticing the strange modern art he had up in his room. It probably cost a fortune.

"How are you Kuchiki-san?" Aizen asked.

"Good." She replied.

"I'm glad to hear it. Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something rather important." His face grew serious, and he placed his elbows on his desk, leaning forward slightly.

"I'm very impressed with the reports you've been doing. Every single one has been completely accurate, and you always get them turned in on time."

What was he getting at exactly?

"Now, I've come up with the idea that you deserve a higher position. It's the same job, and you'll have the same office, just a tad bit more work to do, and a few more privileges. What do you think?" He asked.

Rukia was sort of stunned. She wasn't expecting anything like that.

"I-I really like it sir. I would love to take the job." She felt proud, smart, and as she stood in front of him, she smiled widely.

"You'll be secretary to my assistant." Aizen began.

"Who?" Rukia asked. Aizen had a million assistants.

Aizen chuckled. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Was it too late to refuse the offer?

"I see." Rukia responded with much less enthusiasm as before. Aizen looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Do you not want the job?" He asked.

No, she didn't. Being Kurosaki Ichigo's secretary? The one who was a jerk to her? The one who she had _kissed_? Of course not, but for some reason, she couldn't find it in her to let Aizen down, especially with the offer he was giving her. Rukia couldn't stand Kurosaki Ichigo, but she could attempt.

Every little step a person made working for a corporation went into how they progressed, and something as big as landing a job as secretary to the main boss's assistant, who was also her boss, after just several months, was much bigger than a little step.

"Yes, I accept it." Rukia told him, almost gritting her teeth. Aizen grinned at her, the crease in his face leaving.

"Excellent, if you could, I would like you to start tomorrow." He asked. Rukia didn't respond for a moment, but finally nodded.

"I know it's very short notice, but our current secretary had to take leave permanently, and we're in desperate need for one. Like I said, I've seen your work and I think you will do wonderful. I know it's very out of the ordinary for me to announce this without any previous information, but I figure a good working employee like you can handle it."

Rukia smiled again. Knowing that her boss had such confidence in her gave her a boost of determination.

"Well Kuchiki-san, that is all. I'll have Kurosaki-san come to your office and start helping you with your new duties. If you have any problems, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you so much Aizen-san." Rukia told him smiling, and turned away to leave.

The moment her door closed, Rukia wanted to scream. What the heck was she thinking? Ichigo was going to slaughter her with work!!

She paused at the elevator, and turned away from it. "I'm taking the stairs." She muttered to herself.

Everything was happening too fast. She had only been at work for twenty minutes, and now she was a good step up from her previous job.

"I'm a secretary?" Rukia whispered. The business world was a strange and unorganized place, so she figured she shouldn't be so surprised.

"I'll have to tell Hisana, and probably Byakuya too!" She thought to herself grinning. Byakuya would be proud of her, and maybe actually favor her a little bit over Hisana for once.

Rukia stopped on the stairs as another thought came to her mind. Would she be uncomfortable around Ichigo? Well, she was already uncomfortable around him considering she didn't all too well favor the devil man, but what about the ball? Would it be _awkward_? Rukia shook her head.

"I can at least try." She thought to herself. Rukia talked to him on a regular basis anyways, and since he was usually short and to the point, or rude, Rukia didn't think too much about the event.

A good hour passed, and Rukia got some filing done she needed to catch up on. It was stressful work, but she didn't mind the pace. Rukia was pretty good at dealing with chaos, to a certain point at least.

She heard a knock on her door, nearly causing her to jump due to her concentration on her work.

"Come in." Rukia said extremely politely. It was a good thing she did, because Ichigo strolled in.

His facial expression was calmer than usual, but his shoulders were tensed up in a weird position.

"Come with me." He told her, sounding identical to a robot. She dropped the paper in her hand and followed him out of the office.

They walked down a long hallway and into his dark and gloomy territory. He had a stack of papers sitting at his desk.

"Like Aizen-san already said to you, you'll have the same work, but more. Since you are now my secretary, you need to be here an hour earlier, and you need to stay an hour later. You'll be doing some different kinds of paper work and filing that I'll show you, and when needed, you'll travel with me to the other branch to pick up whatever files Aizen-san needs."

Rukia was speechless.

Even though it was the most Kurosaki Ichigo had ever said to her, it wasn't words she ever wanted to hear.

"Are we clear?" He asked. Rukia sighed and nodded. Why did she so quickly take the job? And how much higher paying was it anyway? Two more hours every day each week added up, and Rukia hoped it was more than that.

"You will be getting paid about ten thousand more each year, minus the bonus you get." He told her, walking around to his desk.

"When you get here first thing in the morning, we'll be leaving for the other branch. I know you don't start until tomorrow, but I need these filled out by today. You can go now." He demanded, tossing her three fat envelopes.

Rukia squeezed the vanilla envelopes tightly in her hands and nodded, leaving the room.

"I can't do this." She whispered to herself. Even if it was ten thousand more each year, she had only talked to him for three minutes, and she already wanted to quit and leave Seireitei Inc. forever.

"_The business world calls to you Rukia. There will be challenges, but it will be rewarding in the end." _

"Shut up Byakuya!" She whispered rather loudly, causing people to look at her strangely. At the moment, Rukia didn't care for their murmurs or their strange looks.

She was pissed, and nothing could stop her raid.

Rukia slammed her office door closed and dumped the three envelopes on her desk. "Something just isn't right." She said.

Seireitei Inc. was a highly known corporation, and she knew it would be hard, but she also figured it would eventually get better. So how come whenever she felt she was progressing, or doing something right, the situation took a turn for the worse, making it impossible for Rukia to truly accomplish anything.

"I can't keep this up for much longer." She whispered, slumping into her chair. Just as things started to barely calm down, something had to attack her, pulling her deep, making it unfeasible for her to come back up for air.

"Rukia-san, I seriously think you need to consider seeking anger management classes." Hinamori stated, closing the door to Rukia's office behind her.

Rukia rolled her eyes, not even noticing that Hinamori didn't bother to knock to come inside. "Well sorry, but since I'm the new secretary to_Kurosaki-san_, I just can't help it. I mean, I don't even start until tomorrow and he's already hounding me with stuff."

Hinamori put a hand up. "Wait a minute. You're his _secretary_? Is that what Aizen-san wanted to talk to you about?" She asked.

Rukia nodded. "Yah. If he hadn't been so freaking persuasive I would have turned it down too." She muttered.

Hinamori was awestruck. "Do you know what kind of achievement that is Rukia-san? You've only worked here a little over three months, and now you're Kurosaki-san's secretary? That's huge! What did Aizen-san say?" She asked.

"He just said he was impressed with some of my work, and that Kurosaki-san's secretary had to leave permanently and he desperately needed someone. It's not that big of a deal since it was on such short notice."

"Rukia-san, do you know anything about how this corporation works?" Hinamori asked.

Rukia shook her head. Hinamori rolled her eyes chuckling. "Those little details like being given a higher position on the spot don't matter, it's the whole point of that you got the job, and that Aizen-san trusts you. You're almost up there with Renji-san, and he's worked here for four years!"

"Sounds to me like a normal thing to be promoted so quickly." Rukia muttered. Hinamori shook her head quickly.

"It only happens to a few people. I've worked here for three years, and I just now got promoted. Kurosaki-san has worked here two years, and he's Aizen-san's head assistant!" Hinamori exclaimed.

"It's just Kurosaki-san is so mean to me for some reason, and I don't understand why. How can I possibly survive being his secretary?" Rukia asked.

Hinamori patted Rukia on the shoulder. "Look, Aizen-san obviously sees that you're a hard worker, and he knows you can handle it, so give it your best shot. Obviously you're doing something right. And don't make it awkward with Kurosaki-san because of what you know happened between you and him. He after all, doesn't know."

Rukia smiled at Hinamori's words. She was an honest person.

"Just stick it out for a little longer, and I know it will get better. Well, I have to get back to work now, but I heard you slam the door to your office so I thought I'd come check on you. Bye." Hinamori said as she opened the door.

"Wait! Hinamori-san!" Rukia called out before Hinamori shut the door.

Hinamori poked her head back in. "Yah? What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone I'm his secretary ok?" Rukia asked. Hinamori looked puzzled.

"Why not?"

Rukia closed her eyes. "People still think something fishy is going on between me and him, so just try to keep it on the dl for now ok?"

Hinamori smiled. "You really shouldn't worry about them because they are right in a way after all. You did kiss him, even if you hate admitting it."

Rukia couldn't say a word back as Hinamori shut the door.

Hinamori was sometimes a hard person to figure out. She could be sweet and encouraging, and then brutally honest, almost in a rude way.

Rukia was glad her first actual day would start tomorrow, enjoying leaving at 5:30, knowing for now on she would have to leave an hour later.

Renij caught up with her on her way out. "So I heard you're Kurosaki-san's new secretary, congrats." Renji said a little too loud.

"Shh! Renji be quiet! Not so loud!" She whispered to him. Renji looked at her confused.

"What? Everyone already knows about it."

Rukia stopped walking in the hallway. Surely Hinamori wouldn't have said anything…

Renji held a paper to her. "See this newsletter that was printed at lunch? It names everyone's position, and underneath Kurosaki-san's is your name, and the position secretary."

Rukia started walking again, hoping people wouldn't think anything suspicious of it.

"I don't see why a girl like _her_ who's only worked here three months gets the job as _his_ secretary." Somebody whispered rather loudly from behind.

"I know, you think that people who have actually worked hard, and not slept around would actually get the position, but then again, the business world is corrupted in that sense." Another person said.

"Oh well, I bet soon she'll be Aizen-san's assistant, sleeping with him too."

That was it. Rukia stopped and turned around.

The two women behind her only smirked. "What? Surely you weren't eavesdropping in on our conversation?" One of the women asked rudely.

Rukia clenched her hand into a fist.

"Oh dear, I guess she heard us. It serves her right then." The second woman said and both of them shoved past Rukia, stalking out the doorway.

"Don't worry about it Rukia." Renji told her reassuringly. Rukia turned back around and headed out the exit with much greater speed then before.

Renji didn't follow after her, and she was glad. She might have punched him due to her anger. How could people be so low?

"They're just jealous." Rukia whispered. She was glad she hadn't said anything back to the women, because that would have been stooping to their level.

She reached her home in about seven minutes and dropped her purse on the ground.

"I need to do something." She said looking around her apartment. She needed get her hands on something to occupy her.

Rukia walked into her kitchen and pulled out some lemons, strawberries, and sugar.

"I'm almost out of strawberry lemonade, so I'll make some more." She thought, and squeezed the lemons hard, causing lots of juice to squirt out.

A tear fell from her cheek, and she felt more frustration.

"Why am I crying?" She was 24 years old, and she was crying because of what some stupid women said to her?

"I'm so pathetic!" She yelled, as she continued to press hard onto the lemons.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Alright, a lot happened in this chapter, and as for Rukia suddenly getting a job promotion, I know it was kind of quick, but I tried to accentuate that in the chapter, and I think something like that could happen in a big corporation (not that I've ever worked for a corporation…). And I see Aizen as a very persuasive person, so Rukia would take the job. Hope you liked the chapter, and I promise the next one will be really interesting! Oh, and if anyone is thinking that Hinamori is a little OOC, I'm sorry.

**Please review!** I know it probably seems like every other chapter is just kind of blah, but I'm trying to make this lengthy yet readable and entertaining at the same time. I also have this vibe that I'm repetitive with a lot of my phrases. Do you guys notice it? Is everything sounding ok? I really want to make this perfect so help me out!! Tell me your thoughts, I'm dying to know!!

Love you guys!!


	9. Ch8: Quitting Already

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Alright, so I've started a new thing where I reply to all the reviews, so I hope you guys like it!! And if I for some reason missed you, let me know and I will!!! Thanks for all the reviews, you guys really are amazing.

Very interesting chapter is all I'll say.

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.8 Quitting Already**

When Rukia's alarm went off the next morning, she closed her eyes, not wanting to get up. It was her first actual day as Kurosaki Ichigo's secretary, and seeing as he had already given her work the previous day, when nothing was official, she only dreaded what horrors he would do to her.

"This isn't going to last very long, I know it." Rukia repeated negatively. Even when Rukia would go into his office for one minute, just to ask him a question, she wanted to quit. So how would she be able to deal with him every day for who knows, perhaps years?

Rukia finally turned her alarm off, which was now set an hour earlier, and she got ready for work. She should have dressed up a little nicer than usual considering it was her first day with her new job position, but she just didn't care.

PMS came extremely early for Rukia that month.

She hollered for a taxi when she reached the sidewalk, waiting impatiently for one to come. It took about five minutes for one to finally stop, and she jerked her way into the car. Rukia tripped several times on her way to her office, letting out a groan after the third time.

There weren't too many people at the building yet, and Rukia was pleased that not everyone would see her looking like such a mess.

She reached her office and put her bag away, turning her computer on. "I was supposed to do something…" Rukia thought. Hadn't Ichigo asked her to do something from the day before?

Her question was answered when Ichigo barged into her room, scowling as always.

"You have five minutes to meet me at my office, and then we have to go see Ichimaru-san." Ichigo told her, before leaving her office seconds later.

Rukia stared at the doorway, wondering if he had really just come into her room. "Why do I feel so dizzy?" She thought.

With the few minutes she had, Rukia ate some fruit and took some medicine. She couldn't afford to get a headache at the rate she was going.

Just like he had asked, more like demanded, Rukia was in his office ready to go. Ichigo had his jacket on with keys in his hand.

"We'll be taking my car." He told her, and strolled out the office, Rukia following behind. The walk down to his car was silent, and Rukia felt a little relief to already be out of the building.

"How often will we go to the other branch?" Rukia asked, not trying to sound too interested. Ichigo kept his eyes forward.

"Every Wednesday morning we'll go." He told her. When they reached the parking garage, Ichigo unlocked his vehicle.

"A trail blazer?" Rukia thought. She didn't see Ichigo as the type to have such a vehicle, maybe a black Jetta or something…

The interior of his car was carpet rather then leather, which also surprised Rukia. He turned his car on, and some sort of rock music played.

Ichigo pulled out of the garage sharply, and made his way to the other building. Rukia stared out the window.

"When you get back, I'll show you some of the other new files you'll start putting in, and the paper work you will begin filling out. It's important you never turn it in late, or we could get in big trouble." He stated, keeping his eyes fixed on the road.

Rukia nodded, not caring if he saw her response or not. It wasn't even occurring to her that she was riding in a vehicle with the man she currently hated, or better yet, made out with.

In fact, she felt rather relaxed.

"Maybe I just needed to get out of the atmosphere I'm usually in." Rukia thought to herself.

The rest of the car ride was silent, and Ichigo turned up his rock music a little louder, which Rukia surprisingly liked. Ten minutes later, they were at the other building.

Her eyes were in awe. The building looked so different on the inside.

Unlike their building, where basically no paintings or anything covered the white and boring walls, this one had lots of color, and arts of all kinds.

Every window had fancy curtains, every small table had a strange plant, every wall rather had a painting, or a picture of some person, Rukia not having any idea of who.

Even the people felt different. They smiled more, and looked happy, unlike her building, where people glared rudely at the other.

"I should have come here to work…" Rukia thought, forgetting that she was assigned where to work by the boss, not the other way around. She nearly ran into Ichigo since she didn't see him stop in front of a room.

Ichigo knocked on the door, and the sweet voice of a woman spoke. "Just a second!"

Ichigo waited, looking irritated as the door swung open. "Ichigo-san!" The busty woman cried, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing here? Oh wait, it's Wednesday! I forgot!"

Rukia remembered her soon following. "Matsumoto Rangiku." Rukia said to herself, scrutinizing the curvy woman.

Matsumoto turned away from Ichigo to look at Rukia. "Who are you?" She asked in a not so sweet voice.

"Kuchiki Rukia, she's my new assistant." Ichigo said to her dully. Matsumoto grinned and turned back to Ichigo.

"What happened to the other girl?" Matsumoto asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know why, but she quit." Ichigo replied.

Rukia could think of a few good reasons…

Matsumoto shrugged her shoulders and invited the two in. "Have a seat. Gin's in a meeting right now, so he'll be out in a few minutes." She said mainly to Ichigo, grinning at him widely.

"How have you been Ichigo-san?" Matsumoto asked enthusiastically.

"Ok I guess, just working." He replied, not even really looking at her. "How can he not stare?" Rukia thought. Even she, a woman, tried not to gawk at the woman's huge chest. The only reason due to the fact at how much bigger her chest was than her head.

Matsumoto bounced in her seat as she shifted positions, causing _other things_ to bounce along with her.

"Yah, I've been working a lot too. Yamamoto-san keeps throwing more and more work, it really isn't fun." The woman said frowning. Ichigo nodded, looking extremely bored.

"Ichigo-san, you always look so dull!! Lighten up some!" Matsumoto exclaimed, placing a pen in her hand. Rukia felt a little strange being there since she wasn't saying a single word.

Her thoughts were changed when Matsumoto turned to her.

"So, Kuchiki Rukia right? How long have you worked for Seireitei?" She asked. Rukia grinned a little.

"About three months." She replied hoping to sound polite. Even if the busty woman did irritate her, something about her made Rukia want to be kind back.

Matsumoto grinned again and scribbled something down onto paper. "Wow! You're already Ichigo-san's secretary? Very impressive. You must be a good worker!"

Rukia grinned a little nervously, though she had no idea at why.

Ichigo didn't glance up the entire time, nor make any reference to Rukia that she was what Matsumoto praised her to be.

A cell phone next to Matsumoto went off, and she answered the phone.

"Hello? Yes Gin, he's here. Yes, we'll be there shortly."

Matsumoto hung up the phone. "Gin's ready so let's go."

Rukia stood and followed behind Ichigo, who walked behind Matsumoto. "He's been very busy lately, so you're time will probably be cut short a few minutes." She warned to Ichigo.

Just like Aizen's office back at her building, Gin's was huge, and somehow had even more paintings and art work than Aizen's. She liked the look in the office, until she saw the man sitting at the desk, smiling freakishly at them all.

"Kurosaki-san, welcome, and who is that next to ya?" He hissed. The man reminded her greatly of a snake. His hands and arms were long and slender, his eyes forming into small slits.

"This is Kuchiki Rukia, my new secretary."

In what happened for only several seconds, felt like hours.

Rukia made the mistake of making eye contact with Ichimaru Gin, and she could feel herself immediately falling to pieces just by looking at him. He was grinning, but she could see something so dark in the way his eyes pierced through hers, making her feel weak, numb, dull even.

Grimmjow's face screamed in her mind, and because of the sudden registration in her brain, she was able to break away from the man's awful stare.

Rukia didn't look up again for the rest of the small meeting they had.

"So Kuchiki-san, you've only worked here for two months? That's impressive ya know." Gin said to her at the end of the assembly they had. Rukia knew he was staring at her, the way he had before, trying to possess her, but she wasn't brave enough to stare back.

"Thank you." She replied quite normally. Ichigo said his goodbyes to Ichimaru Gin with Matsumoto winking at him strangely, and the two left.

Rukia felt turmoil inside. Why did just looking at that man make her sick? She didn't even hear her boss's words.

"Rukia-san hello?" He asked. Rukia snapped out of her gaze.

"Oh sorry." She replied rather dryly. Ichigo got his keys out.

"Anyways, what I was saying was that once we get back, I need you to make copies of the files Gin-san gave me. Once you've done that, come back to my office and I'll start you on the new files." He told her.

Why did he always tell her everything thirty minutes to an hour before the task was needed to be done? It was a strange habit to have, and she only looked at her boss with more curiosity.

Rukia froze, stopped. "C-Curiosity?" She thought. Where had that kind of thought come from? She wasn't curious about her boss. Heck, she hated the man, and wanted him to burn.

They reached his car and climbed inside. Ichigo turned his music up even louder, and Rukia's headache only worsened. The ride back to the office made Rukia even tenser.

Ichigo took fast strides into the building, causing Rukia to basically jog to keep up.

"Copies, then my office." He told her, looking at her for a split second. Before Rukia could reply to his demand, he was walking away. Rukia shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her office.

She quickly took some medicine for her headache, and it didn't help for what would happen.

"Why doesn't the copy machine work?" Rukia exclaimed to Inoue in the office just ten minutes later.

"It stopped working about an hour ago, someone is coming to look at it." Inoue replied.

"How long is _that_ going to take?" Rukia muttered, looking angry at Inoue. The girl smiled nervously.

"I have a copy machine by my desk if you want to use it." Inoue told her politely. Rukia's frown turned to a smile as she followed Inoue out the office.

To Rukia's ill-fated fortune, Inoue's machine was out of ink. "I'm really sorry Kuchiki-san." Inoue said. Rukia gritted her teeth and turned away.

"It's not your fault, thank you for trying to help." Rukia replied and stalked off, hoping she didn't look too angry. Inoue seemed to be a rather sensitive person, and Rukia tried to respect other people's feelings.

It had now been about half an hour since Ichigo had wanted the copies, and she knew he would start losing his patience, if he already hadn't. To her luck, Renji walked by her.

"Renji! I need your help!" She cried.

"What? Are you hurt?" He asked in an extremely worried tone. Rukia shook her head.

"No, I need to get these copies to Kurosaki-san but none of the copy machines are working! Do you know where one is?" Rukia asked. Renji always had the answer she needed, but when he frowned, she felt all hope flutter away.

"I'm sorry Rukia, I was actually just looking for one too. They really need to get more and newer machines." He told her apologetically. Rukia let out a low groan turning away, and nearly fell over from a person standing in front of her.

"Oh sorry." Rukia muttered, but stopped as she realized who it was. Ichigo looked heated with his hands strangely shoved in his pockets.

"You still haven't copied them?" He asked, his voice sounding angry over his usual irritation.

"No, none of the copy machines work." She replied. Ichigo sighed loudly.

"Then take them to the place across the street and get them done. I need these copied in the next ten minutes!" He nearly shouted. Rukia's eyes widened at his loud voice, and turned away to leave.

Rukia walked out of Seireitei Inc. slowly, not caring if her boss would scold her for her long amount of time. "He'll just have to turn them in late." Rukia replied. She just couldn't do it anymore. It was her first day as his secretary, and he was already screaming at her. Rukia knew that there would be more times to come when he would shout at her, but Rukia didn't know if he would ever get the chance to.

She was five minutes late getting the copies to her boss, and if she thought he was angry before, than he was furious then.

"Honestly, I told you ten minutes, is it so hard to do?" He asked, yanking the papers from her hands. Rukia just stared at him blankly.

"Sorry, the place was busy." She replied dully. Ichigo rolled his eyes, threw the stack of papers on his desk, and turned back to her, looking serious.

"He's going to fire me." Rukia thought to herself, hoping he would. She was sick and tired of being pushed around.

Instead, Ichigo looked away and slumped over to his desk. "Sit down next to me." He demanded. Rukia snapped out of her gaze, realizing that he wasn't going to fire her, and did as he said.

If he did one more thing, she was going to burst.

"Here are the new files." He told her, the anger still clear in his voice. Rukia looked at the computer monitor.

"It's not much different then what you already do, but now you'll be making a few extra copies to document, and you'll be filling out paperwork." 

"What kind of paperwork?" Rukia asked, trying to concentrate on what he was telling her.

Ichigo stood from his desk and grabbed a big envelope. "This." He said, tossing it into her lap.

Rukia looked at the papers and nearly went into shock. "All fifteen pages of this paperwork is just _one_ packet?" She said gasping.

Ichigo was unusually silent, and she slowly understood that the words actually escaped her lips instead of staying up in her fowl-mouthed mind.

"Is that a problem?" He asked, glaring at her.

That was all it took to further piss her off.

"How many packets will I have to do a day like this?" Rukia asked.

"About seven to ten." Ichigo replied, still staring back at her hard. Rukia closed her eyes, sighing for the millionth time that day.

"Then yes, it is a problem. How am I supposed to get all my other work done, plus these packets? They must take about half an hour to an hour to do! Even if I do stay two hours more each day, it's just impossible."

"Sorry, not my problem." Ichigo replied as he sat down in the seat next to her. This time, Rukia stood up.

"Alright, well what about when I'm trying to get these impossible packets done, and you want me to go make copies or something? What if the copy machine doesn't work? What if the fax machine doesn't work?"

"You stay until it's finished." He replied, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

Those were the wrong words for him to say. Kurosaki Ichigo could be as cold as he wanted, but once Rukia was enraged, there was no escaping.

"What if I can't? What if I have something I have to attend?"

"Do I need to repeat it over and over? It's not my —"

"_Problem?_ Don't you dare say it! If you're always going to be this discourteous and not even insist on helping when you are my boss, then this isn't going to work out."

"Just because I'm your boss doesn't mean I have to deal with all of your personal problems." He replied, now on his feet two.

"Why are you so rude to me? You don't seem to act this way to anyone else, so why?" Rukia asked. She didn't care that the question came from out of the blue, she just said things on instinct.

"I wouldn't be so rude if you would get your job done!" He shot back. Rukia growled, gritting her teeth.

"I don't see how I can get anything done with the amount of work you throw at me!" She screamed back.

"You should be grateful for the position you have, not whining and complaining about it!" Ichigo yelled back.

"It's not like it's really a step up considering it's _you_ who I'm working for!"

"You don't deserve to be my secretary!"

"I don't see how I really kissed you at the masquerade ball, it _must_ have been someone ELSE!" She screamed.

Right as the words slipped out, she was paralyzed, and shocked she really just said the words out loud. Before she could look at Ichigo and see his reaction, Rukia turned around and hurried out the room.

For once, Byakuya's annoying voice didn't ring in her head, and she took it as a sign that it was finally time to say goodbye to Seireitei Inc. once and for all.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** Finally! Rukia gives Ichigo her attitude!! What's up with him anyways??? I know why, but I can't tell you!! You guys probably hate me for making him mean still, but just keep reading its all going to change really soon! This chapter was fun to write, and things will only get better and better. Will Rukia quit once and for all? Or will something make her change her mind? (hint hint)

**Review please!!** I know it seems awful soon for Rukia to want to quit as it was the first day of being his secretary, but I've been making her pessimistic in this story with her job, so I don't see the problem. I love you all!! I also know Ichigo's really harsh in this story, but you'll start seeing much more of him, don't worry. (I know I keep saying that but I mean it!!)

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!


	10. Ch9: Out of Character

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

I hit another 30 reviews for the last chapter!! Yay!! And now, just two days later, Chapter 10!!! Hope you all enjoy! So, what's going to happen to Rukia? Is she _really_ going to quit??

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.9 Out of Character**

After Rukia walked out of his office, she grabbed her things, signed out, and went home.

"I'm sick and tired of being so stressed out when I shouldn't have to be. I've worked there plenty long now, and nothing is getting better. Besides…"

"_I don't see how I really kissed you at the masquerade ball, it must have been someone else!"_

Rukia squeezed her eyes closed, remembering her words perfectly. Why was she such an idiot? She unlocked the door to her apartment and chucked her bag to the floor.

"There's no way I can go back now." She muttered, sinking into her couch. It was only 11:45.

"I didn't even last half a day." She whispered laughing a little bit. Rukia pulled her legs onto the couch and rested her head on the end. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Where would she go now?

"Anywhere but there." Rukia answered herself. Surely there were other corporations that wouldn't be so difficult, or have such a horrible boss, right? Then again, who would want a woman who didn't even last a full day when promoted? Not many, probably not any at all…

Rukia groaned and pulled a pillow over her face in frustration. Every time she thought of her last words to Ichigo, she flinched, gritting her teeth.

"I can't believe I was so thoughtless." She whispered underneath the pillow. It was strange really. The whole time she had been with Ichigo while at the other corporation, she hadn't thought about the ball at all, which seemed a little weird considering how much she was with him.

"I even rode in his car with him and I didn't think of it!" She said a little louder. The other half of the time at work was spent thinking about how much of a pain he was, which distracted her from other thoughts, except for when she had screamed at him, and blurted out the one thing she never wanted him to hear.

Rukia finally screamed into her pillow. She knew it was a childish thing to do, but she was still angry and upset, not only at Ichigo, but at herself. Why was he only that way to her? Or was Rukia seriously missing something that everyone else knew about.

"No one else is mean like him, so that shouldn't give him any excuse." She said pouting, finally pulling the pillow off. Rukia was grateful she didn't cry, because she would have felt ten more times pitiable than she already did.

Deciding she wasn't hungry enough to eat food, Rukia grabbed the remote to her television and flipped through the channels. Of course it was 11 in the morning, the time period where they played boring shows for old people living in retirement homes to watch. Chappy wasn't even on to somewhat brighten her mood.

Rukia finally settled with some strange reality show, and blinked when her phone rang.

"Hello? Hey Hisana. You're coming into town tomorrow? Alright I'll call you and we can figure out sometime to meet up. Sorry, today was rough. I don't think I'm going back to Seireitei. I know, I can't really talk about it now, but I'll call you later and explain everything to you. Hisana are you ok? Alright, well I'll call you later, bye."

Rukia hung up the phone and set it next to her. It was good to hear her sister's voice, even if it did sound raspy and weak. Was she still not getting any better?

She grew tiresome from watching the stupid show, and dozed off into asleep. Rukia surprisingly had good dreams about when she was little, when she used to play with Hisana.

"_Let's play the guessing game with mommy!" Rukia exclaimed grabbing her sister's arm._

"_But mommy always wins! How about Bya-nii, he sometimes guesses wrong." Hisana replied, skipping with Rukia down the sidewalk._

"_Ok!" Rukia said. They quickly made their way to their small home where Byakuya was at, studying of course. _

_He was in his room, eyes glued to his book. "Bya-nii!" Hisana and Rukia shouted in unison. He looked up from his book with a blank expression._

"_What?" He half asked, looking back down at his book thoughtfully. Hisana and Rukia both giggled and moved closer to him._

"_We want to play a game!" Hisana cried poking her brother. Byakuya rolled his eyes slightly and lifted his head again._

"_I'm busy studying." He replied. Hisana pouted. _

"_Please Bya-nii? Just one?" She asked, Rukia joining in. They both grabbed and pulled at his shirt. Byakuya smacked their hands away._

"_Fine, just one." He said aggravated. Rukia and Hisana squealed. _

"_Ok, we want to play the guessing game!" Rukia beamed. Byakuya sighed and turned to his two seven-year old sisters._

"_You guys are getting too old for that." Byakuya stated looking at the two. Rukia and Hisana giggled._

"_Nu-uh! C'mon! We wanna play!" Hisana exclaimed. Byakuya sighed again, more deeply than before, and looked at the two of them._

"_The one of the left is Hisana, and the one on the right is Rukia." He told them seconds later. Hisana and Rukia frowned._

"_Aw you're no fun! How did you know?" Hisana asked placing her hands on her hips. Byakuya smirked. _

"_You have two pieces of hair always hanging from your face while Rukia has one, plus you're a little skinnier than Rukia." This time, Rukia placed her hands on her hips._

"_I'm not fat!" She cried. Hisana giggled._

"_Yes you are! You're fat!" Hisana exclaimed poking at Rukia's side. Byakuya shook his head._

"_No! You're just too skinny!" Rukia replied and poked Hisana back. They quickly got into a poking war when Byakuya grabbed their arms._

"_Stop you guys are fine. Now I need to keep studying, I'm taking a college admission test tomorrow." Byakuya stated, glancing back at his book._

"_College? Didn't daddy go to college?" Rukia asked. Byakuya shook his head. _

"_Yes he did." Byakuya replied, getting ready to push them out of his room._

"_But aren't you too young for that? Wasn't daddy a grown-up? You're thirteen!" Hisana exclaimed._

"_Don't worry about it, now seriously, I need to get back to work." Byakuya stated as he pulled his sisters out the door. They smiled sheepishly._

"_We'll be back later!" Rukia shouted as Byakuya shut his door. She turned to Hisana who was smiling too._

"_Ok, let's go ask Oreo!" Hisana whispered. Rukia grinned._

"_Oreo's a dog so she won't ever be able to tell us apart!" Rukia replied, and the two made their way down the stairs._

Rukia woke up to a knock on her door. "W-What time is it?" She asked with a slurred voice. She looked at her clock and almost gasped.

"_Five thirty_ in the _afternoon_? How is that possible?" She exclaimed, hearing the door knock again. Rukia stood from her couch and went to retrieve the door. How could she have slept so long?

Rukia was still half dazed when she reached the door, and was surprised to find who stood at the doorway.

Renji and Hinamori.

"What are you guys doing here?" Rukia asked rubbing her head. They both looked a little upset about something, and Rukia let them in.

"Is it true?" Hinamori asked.

"Is what true?" Rukia replied.

"About you quitting?" Renji snapped back sharply. Even Hinamori looked at him a little fearfully.

"Who told you that?" Rukia asked. She hadn't said a word to anyone except Ichigo, and he of all people wasn't one to go and say such things like his secretary quitting.

"People heard you and Kurosaki-san yelling at each other, and then they saw you walk out of his office furious. Others said they saw you walk out of the building too. The rumors are just so awful Rukia, so we figured we would come check on you."

"What sort of rumo —"

"Answer the freaking question." Renji cut in, glaring at Rukia. She sighed and looked down at the ground.

"Look, it's not official yet, but I am leaving, for good." The room was silent after that, and Hinamori soon broke the ice.

"What happened Rukia-san?" She asked sympathetically. Rukia and Hinamori sat down on the couch, while Renji sat on her rocking chair. She glanced at Renji, who looked back at her. Rukia tore her eyes away, not wanting to say everything with him there. Seeing that she had no choice, Rukia sighed, and began explaining.

"Today started off fine, I mean Kurosaki-san and I went to see Ichimaru-san to do whatever Kurosaki-san needed, and then we got back and things went down hill. I tried to get some papers copied for him, but none of the copy machines were working. I had to go across the street to copy them, and then I was late." Rukia paused, preparing herself for saying the worst part.

"I remember him yelling at you." Renji stated. Rukia nodded.

"Renji had been there when I was looking for a copy machine. Anyways, Kurosaki-san was mad that I hadn't gotten his papers in on time, and I started to get angry. He began showing me some new paperwork I would be doing, and it was just going to be impossible with everything else I would need to get done. So, I snapped at him and we got into a big argument. Towards the end, I accidentally brought up the ball."

Rukia's words grew quiet at the end and Hinamori's eyes widened.

"What do you mean you brought up the ball?" Hinamori asked, looking shocked.

"I told him how I you know, _kissed_ him."

"WHAT?" Renji shouted, grabbing the arms of his chair tightly. Hinamori and Rukia looked up at him.

"Oh it's a long story, I'll tell you later." Hinamori said waving her hand at him. Rukia shook her head fast.

"No! Don't tell him! This is a secret I told you!" Rukia exclaimed. Hinamori shrugged her shoulders.

"A little late now don't you think?" She asked. Rukia closed her eyes. "If you tell anyone Renji, I'll kill you." Rukia said in a teasingly manner.

Renji was in too much shock to get her serious joke.

"Is Kurosaki-san mean to you?" Rukia asked Hinamori. She shrugged her shoulders.

"He's not mean really, but he's not nice either. I don't know, he's like that to everyone." Hinamori replied.

"I know I was his secretary, but the things he said were just so rude…" Rukia stated.

"So you're going to quit then?" Hinamori asked, snapping Rukia out of her sudden gaze. She pressed her hands together, looking down.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't take it anymore. I've tried for the past three months now, and it's only gotten worse." Rukia said. Hinamori didn't look satisfied.

"I don't want you to go." Hinamori began. "How about just one more try? If it doesn't work out then you can leave."

Rukia shook her head. "How can I even talk to him now when I've admitted what happened?"

Hinamori's smile dropped. "I don't know what to say about that one."

"Have you told Aizen-san yet?" Renji asked, finally speaking. Rukia looked at him. The irritation was read easily on his face, and she wondered if he was jealous, like during the whole elevator occurrence.

"No, I'm going to his office tomorrow, where I can hopefully avoid seeing Kurosaki-san." Rukia told the two.

"So, tell me about the rumors." Rukia asked. Hinamori rolled her eyes slouching her shoulders.

"Do you really want to know?" Hinamori asked.

Rukia shook her head. "I'm sure it has to do with Kurosaki-san and how we broke up or something." Rukia humored. Hinamori laughed, nodding her head.

"What do you mean _broke up_?" Renji asked suddenly. Rukia and Hinamori chuckled more.

"Well, I guess we'll let you go now, but we should celebrate your going away. I really want to keep in touch Rukia-san." Hinamori said standing up from the couch.

Rukia smiled at her warmly, and stood along with Renji and Hinamori. "I'm glad you both came by." She told them, walking them to her door.

"You better explain everything to me Hinamori-san." Renji muttered as they walked out the door. Rukia laughed again and closed the door. She was glad she at least met some good people at Seireitei Inc. and she hoped to stay friends with them, though Renji wouldn't be too much of a problem.

There was soon another knock at her door, and Rukia turned around to answer it.

"Are you still gonna go to the dinner party with me on Saturday?" Renji asked. Rukia had almost completely forgot.

"I'm sorry Renji, but I can't." Rukia replied simply. Renji nodded, seeming to understand why she wouldn't attend, and left her apartment.

Rukia didn't go to bed until much later since she had slept for nearly six hours that morning. "Honestly, how did I sleep that long?" Rukia thought as she crawled into bed.

She really didn't want to go back, but if she wanted to be professional, she needed to take responsibility for her leave. Rukia would have given a two weeks notice, but seeing as she couldn't handle a single day, two weeks was out of the question.

The next morning, Rukia made her way to Seireitei Inc. around 9 o'clock. "Why not sleep a little later?" Rukia thought. Though she would probably be sleeping in until she found a new job, which she hoped wouldn't last too long.

The moment Rukia walked into the building, people were already looking at her and whispering. She rolled her eyes and walked down the halls. After remembering his office was on the twentieth floor, Rukia decided to take the stairs. To her surprise, the walk up didn't take too long, and only more people stared at her when she finally reached the twentieth floor.

Rukia kept her head forward, and approached the lady at the desk right in front of Aizen's office. "I would like to speak with Aizen-san." Rukia asked politely. The lady looked at her strangely and nodded.

"Just a sec." She replied, and got on the phone. "Yes, Aizen-san, Kuchiki Rukia wants to speak to you, uh-huh, right, ok." The woman hung up the phone.

"You can go inside now." The woman said, pointing towards the door. Rukia smiled, pulling her purse closer to her. She pushed the door open.

Aizen was reading some sort of paper, and looked up when Rukia walked in. "Oh Kuchiki-san, please come in." He said, smiling his warm smile. Rukia smiled back awkwardly, and walked into his office, not being able to stop herself from looking at displays of art in his room.

"Have a seat." He offered, pointing to the chair in front of his desk. Rukia took the seat, wondering why he hadn't offered it last time. He placed his hands underneath his chin, resting on his elbows.

"How are you Kuchiki-san?" He asked. Rukia kept her purse in her lap, holding onto it tightly.

"Alright I suppose." She replied. Rukia needed to stay professional, yet honest at the same time. It was her first time to actually quit a job, and she wanted to get it down right.

"I heard from Ichigo-san that you felt you needed to quit, is this true?" He asked. Rukia paused for a moment, and nodded.

"Yes." She replied.

"I know I'm not supposed to, but can I ask why?"

Rukia paused again. What could she say to him without sounding pathetic? She wasn't going to be rude and not say anything at all. The words flowed out her mouth nevertheless

"I'm just not feeling comfortable with the new secretary job." She replied, trying to keep eye contact with him. Aizen stared at her for a minute, his smiling never faltering.

"I'm sorry to hear that Kuchiki-san. I really hate to lose such a great employee. I know Kurosaki-san can be a tough boss sometimes, but he's good about making sure people get their work done." Aizen said smiling. Rukia froze in her seat.

Why was he bringing _him_ into this?

"Sorry, well, if you're sure this is what you want, then you are free to go." Aizen said to her, standing to shake her hand.

"Thank you for the opportunity I had to work here." Rukia replied, shaking his hand firmly. She turned around and slowly walked towards the office door, which felt like eternity.

Before Rukia's hand touched the handle, she paused and took a deep breathe. This was the end of Seireitei Inc., a small part of her life. She would remember the experiences she had there, whether she liked them or not.

Her hand finally touched the door knob, and she paused when she heard Aizen's voice.

"Before you go Kuchiki-san, can I tell you something?" His voice asked from behind. Rukia turned around, hand still on the door knob.

"Yes?" She asked politely. He was still standing, and she could barely see the grin on his face considering how long his office was.

"I don't know if I ever said it before, but Kurosaki-san was the one to recommend you to be his secretary."

Rukia's eyes widened.

"What?" She asked in shock. Aizen nodded.

"Yes, just a few hours after his previous secretary quit, I came up to him asking if he knew anyone who would be good and quick to work for him. Your name was the only one he said." Aizen told her, hands on both of his sides.

Rukia looked down at the ground in utter confusion. "I have to go now." Rukia told him, turning around again.

"You're more than welcome to come back Kuchiki-san, you're a hard worker after all."

Rukia nodded from behind, and left his office.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** What? Ichigo was the one to recommend her? Did any of you see this coming??? ( I know a few did!) Tell me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and it was fun writing about Rukia and Hisana little, especially with a thirteen year old Byakuya genius!! So what's Rukia going to do now since she knows what Aizen just told her?

Well anyways, **please review** and tell me your thoughts!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!

PS- updates are going to eventually start slowing down since we're getting deeper into the story. I'm thinking next Friday, but maybe sooner.


	11. Ch10: A New Perspective

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Ugggh, I'm soo annoyed. I figured out how to write this chapter when I was at work (yah I kind of do that a lot haha) and I got home and started writing and I basically forgot it all!! I hate it!! So, I tried my best here, and hopefully it sounds ok.

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.10 A New Perspective**

Rukia walked out of Aizen's office with a feeling she could not quite point out. She was so deep in thought that she didn't realize a person in front her, running straight into the person.

"Oh, sorry." Rukia mumbled, not glancing back at who ever it was. She pushed the door opened that led to the stairs and began taking each step slowly.

Aizen's words floated through her brain, and she knew the man could be very persuasive, but she just didn't see how it was possible. "Why did he even tell me that anyways?" She whispered rather loudly, suddenly feeling frustrated.

Rukia shouldn't have cared, she shouldn't have been bothered by it, but it was eating at her sides too deeply. She finally stopped after nearly tripping on a step and sat down, placing her head in her hands.

"_I don't know if I ever said it before, but Ichigo-san was the one to recommend you to be his secretary." _

Rukia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping it would help to relax her.

It didn't.

She clenched onto the corners of her hair, wanting to just about scream.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is the most frustrating person in the _world_." Rukia muttered. Why would he recommend her to be his secretary anyways? Wasn't he the one who made her do a report all over because she misplaced one flipping comma?

Rukia groaned, not wanting to think about all the other times he made her do insane tasks, which she did manage to get done at the nick of time, usually. So what was his deal?

"I should have never agreed to be his secretary. Stupid Aizen-san." She whispered, hoping Aizen wouldn't pop out from behind the corner.

Rukia should have ignored Aizen's last comment, and left Seireitei Inc. then and there, but there she was, sitting on the steps, thinking about her career choices.

It wasn't even possible to go back anyways. Minus going insane from what Ichigo had thrown at her, she utterly humiliated herself in front of him.

Rukia refused to let her echoing words speak even in her mind, or she really would scream. Just knowing that he knew that she kissed him literally made her sick to her stomach. How could she ever face him again? Why would she even want to?

"Why did Aizen-san say it?" She repeated. Did Aizen lie to her for some reason? Rukia was pretty sure he wouldn't, but who knew. The comment was so out of the ordinary for a man like him that it just didn't seem possible, and Rukia had this gut feeling that he wasn't lying.

She was really getting irritated that it was bothering her so much. "Kurosaki-san's been nice once." Rukia thought, remembering everything she went through on the elevator. He made sure she was safe, which did surprise her, and she thought maybe things would change between them.

Almost instantaneously following, he acted colder than before. It was if the whole thing never happened on the elevator. Comparing the masquerade ball to how he acted almost felt impossible.

"Again, why am I thinking about it so much?" Rukia cried. She was sick of thinking about him, but no matter what she did, the orange haired jerk wouldn't leave her alone. Was it because he tortured her so much? 

She needed to talk to someone and get advice from a different point of view. "Hinamori-san." Rukia whispered, standing up slowly so she wouldn't risk getting dizzy. Fainting on a bunch of stairs probably wouldn't be a good thing. With her luck, Ichigo would probably be the one to save her…

Rukia stared down at the steps, took a deep breath, and started moving again. She walked even slower than before, not minding to take her time. "Hopefully she's in her office." Rukia mumbled, glancing at the exit doors as she passed. Hinamori wasn't too far away from her office, or rather, her old office.

Though going to Hinamori's office meant a higher risk of running into Kurosaki Ichigo, she tried to ignore that small detail, and prayed that by some miracle he wouldn't come in sight of her.

Five minutes later, Rukia was standing outside Hinamori's office knocking lightly. When nobody responded, Rukia started to walk away, feeling embarrassed for some reason. Then again, there were people walking around her, some smirking while others glared. She should have been used to the rude looks by then, and she instead glared back. The door opened from behind.

"Hello? Rukia-san?" Hinamori asked. Rukia turned around slowly, smirking just slightly. Hinamori looked extremely tired for some reason, but smiled at seeing Rukia. "Come in!" She exclaimed, grabbing Rukia's arm to pull her in her office.

"You know? I don't think I've ever been in here." Rukia mumbled, glancing around at some pictures of Hinamori.

"It's not too different from yours." Hinamori replied, sitting down at her desk. Rukia took a seat by a small table, setting her purse down.

"Are you busy?" Rukia asked. Hinamori grinned. "Actually, no. I'm on my lunch break." She replied.

"Oh, well if you want me to leave that's fine." Rukia stated, glancing at her purse. Hinamori shook her head quickly. "No I can eat in here is what I was implying, sorry. So, have you told Aizen-san yet?" She asked, pulling her lunch out of the small fridge by her desk.

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about." Rukia muttered, sitting up a little taller. She felt nervous for some reason, as if she were afraid to tell Hinamori, the girl that currently knew a lot of her not so intimate secrets.

"What happened? Is everything alright?" Hinamori asked with a bit of concern. Before Rukia could continue, she looked down at her lap, clenching her hands into fists. She was still irritated, and hoped she didn't sound rude as to what Aizen had said to her.

"Well, I went to Aizen-san and told him that I was leaving, and he was very understanding and nice, but —" Rukia squeezed the skirt she wore with her tight hands, and continued on.

"What?" Hinamori asked, looking really concerned.

"I told him I wasn't comfortable with my secretary job, and he brought up Kurosaki-san and how he knew Kurosaki-san could be tough. I was kind of confused that he suddenly brought him up, but after I shook his hand and started to leave, he told me that Kurosaki-san was the one to recommend me to being his secretary in the first place."

For once, Hinamori didn't look surprised.

"I know." She responded, looking a bit shameful. Rukia stood from her chair.

"What do you mean _you know_?" Rukia muttered angrily. Hinamori laughed nervously. "Calm down, I just found out a little while ago, so don't get all angry at me." Hinamori replied.

"Did Aizen-san tell you?" Rukia asked, now utterly confused. Hinamori shook her head.

"Renji told me, so if you want to be mad at anyone, it should be him."

Rukia groaned, slumping back into her chair. "I don't get it Hinamori-san. Kurosaki-san acted so cold, and then it turns out he was the one to recommend me? Wait! How did Renji know?" Rukia suddenly exclaimed.

Hinamori shrugged her shoulders, smiling lightly. "For your first question Rukia-san, I really don't know. It is rather odd, considering how he has been towards you, and as for Renji, I'm not sure, but I knew he wasn't lying. I've told you how jealous he's sounded before, but this time, it was crazy. He was fuming at me about it."

Rukia didn't care at the moment to hear about how jealous Renji was for there was another person on her mind.

"What do I do Hinamori-san? When Aizen-san told me that about Kurosaki-san, I felt lost all of the sudden, guilty even. After everything Kurosaki-san did to me, I felt _guilty_!"

Hinamori smiled. "Then don't quit." Her words were simple, and yet they brought something so controversial to Rukia's at the moment one-track mind.

"Don't _quit_? Hinamori-san! How can I not? I mean, I didn't even survive one full day as his secretary!" Rukia said much louder than before.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're the one being rude to him?" Hinamori asked. Rukia's eyes widened.

"What? I've always been as nice as I can to him! Yes, I know the last time I sort of lost it, but he was being a total jerk!" Rukia replied, trying her best to defend herself.

"I understand, but Kurosaki-san wouldn't just for any reason recommend you, and only you, to be his new secretary. He must see something good in you, and I really think you should give it a second shot." Hinamori told her, taking a bite of her lunch.

Rukia looked down back at her lap again. Was Hinamori right? Rukia was never disrespectful to Ichigo, minus her last talk with him, but she suddenly felt blame. She knew Kurosaki Ichigo wouldn't just recommend her to be his secretary unless he knew that Rukia was worth it.

"Just try again Rukia-san, really. Aizen-san is really understanding, and if he said all that about Kurosaki-san suddenly, then he knows good and well that Kurosaki-san is tough. I know it's hard for you, but I really have this feeling that you should. And who knows, maybe Kurosaki-san will come to his senses and be a little less cold."

"But what about everything I said to him? What about the ball?" Rukia asked. Hinamori shook her head.

"Just forget it ever happened Rukia. It was a while ago and people were drinking. Just don't make it awkward. Like I said, if it doesn't work out, then quit, but half a day is not enough time to get a real feel for the job. Who knows? Maybe Kurosaki-san will eventually soften up on you." Hinamori stated, laughing a little towards the end.

Rukia rolled her eyes smirking. "I doubt that last part, but I don't know Hinamori-san. It is something I'll have to think about."

Hinamori threw her lunch bag away. "Yes, it is definitely something you should consider. I know it's been rough for you, and I know you've been trying, but try a little more, and you never know what could happen."

Rukia smiled finally, glad to know how serious Hinamori was about Rukia's situation.

"I know I probably sound mean right now, but I've really gotten to know you Rukia-san, and seeing you every day and what you and everyone else has to put up with, I think you can do it."

"I don't know Hinamori-san, but I think I'll go ask Renji more about Kurosaki-san." Rukia told her. Hinamori walked Rukia to the door.

"Be careful how you word things. Like I said, Renji was extremely jealous." Hinamori replied, giggling slightly. Rukia grinned, and opened the door.

"You can do it Rukia-san!" Hinamori cheered loudly, causing people around to glance at her strangely. Rukia waved at her weakly, saying goodbye, and headed towards the stairs.

Rukia found that even though the stairs could be tiresome, they calmed her, giving her time to think, unlike on the elevator, where she solely concentrated on getting to and from the floors in one piece…

Renji was standing outside his office, looking over what looked like a file when Rukia approached him, feeling rather nervous.

"Oi Rukia!" Renji nearly shouted in surprise. He nearly dropped his files causing Rukia to roll her eyes. She shook her head humorously and looked at him.

"I wanted to ask you about something that you've apparently known about for some time and not bothered to say anything to me about it." Rukia muttered, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

Renji looked confused for a second, but something seemed to dawn on his as he pulled Rukia into his office.

"What're you talkin about?" Renji asked, eyeing Rukia suspiciously as he shut his door behind him.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, and how he apparently recommended me to be his secretary." Rukia shot back, glaring back just as intensely.

Renji's sharp gaze dropped slightly, and he scratched the back of his head.

"Did Hinamori tell you?" Renji asked, looking confused. Rukia rolled her eyes and couldn't help smacking his arm.

"No, actually, Aizen-san _himself_ told me!" Rukia replied, inching closer to make her evil glare look even scarier. Renji didn't look affected by it.

"So what was the point of you comin here to tell me this?" Renji asked with an irritated voice. Rukia was surprised at finding how similar he sounded to Ichigo…

"Look, I just wanted to know how you found out about it, you know, Kurosaki-san saying what he said to Aizen-san." Rukia mumbled. It was a rather uncomfortable question to ask him.

Renji sighed, and took a seat at his desk. "I just happened to come into Aizen-san's office one day, and Kurosaki-san was in there. They were discussing you and you're files. Kurosaki-san was saying how well written one of your reports was, and Aizen-san looked pretty happy, though he's always smiling…"

Rukia was shocked. Kurosaki Ichigo, the person who was always cold, emotionless, a monster at times, had complimented her. She smiled after that, not fully understanding why.

"He really said something nice about me?" Rukia asked in more of a whisper. Renji looked really annoyed at that point, but Rukia didn't care.

"You deserve it after all. You work so freakin hard." Renji said with a much softer voice. Rukia suddenly froze, feeling warmth at Renji's words.

"Thanks Renji." She said to him kindly. Renji rolled his eyes and walked to his desk.

"Whatever, it's no big deal. So I'm guessing you told Aizen-san that you were quitting?" Renji asked sounding annoyed once again. Rukia nodded, clutching onto the side of her purse.

"Yah, but you know, I talked to Hinamori-san, and I don't know if I want to quit just yet." Rukia mumbled. She looked at Renji to see him staring at her.

"What?" She asked, a little embarrassed. Renji sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I guess Hinamori's right. You should give it another shot. Really, Kurosaki-san was saying some really nice things about you, at least for some one like him." Renji replied.

Rukia turned to head out the door. "I'm guessing Hinamori-san told you the whole story now right? About the ball?" She asked, not daring to face him.

"Yah, she did." He replied. His voice held no humor once so ever, but something much more serious.

"I don't know how to act around him if I do come back." Rukia said softly. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Just give it a go." He told her staring down at her rather closely. Rukia smiled and scooted back quickly.

"I-I guess I could, and if it doesn't work out, then I could just quit. Aizen-san did say I was welcome back." Rukia stated, beaming a little.

"Well hey, if you are coming back then how about going to the dinner party with me?" Renji asked. Rukia rolled her eyes grinning.

"Yes Renji, if I come back, then I'll go with you, but even if I do agree to come back, I don't know how soon." She muttered. Rukia said her goodbyes to Renji and left the building, wanting to talk to one more person.

Rukia quickly remembered that Hisana was coming into town, and that brightened her mood even more.

That was all she needed at the moment.

Going home didn't sound very soothing, so she went to the café by her apartment, deciding to finally spend the gift card Renji had given her for her birthday.

She sat at a table near a window, watching the different people of Karakura town walk by. Rukia smiled when she saw two little girls holding hands, skipping, as they followed who appeared to be their mother down the side walk. "I really want to see Hisana." Rukia whispered, pulling out her cell phone to call her.

Hisana didn't answer, and Rukia rolled her eyes. When her food was ready, she brought it back to her table, and began eating slowly. At the moment, she felt peaceful.

Renji would never lie to her about something like Ichigo complimenting her, and she could see it was hard for him to say it as she stood in his office, wanting answers.

"Then why does he act so mean?" Rukia asked herself. She couldn't even enjoy her food because of the big question in her head.

Should she stay at Seireitei Inc.? Hinamori and Renji sure thought she should, but it was her decision. Could Rukia handle seeing Ichigo everyday after knowing what she admitted to him?

Her thoughts came to a stop when her phone rang.

"Hisana! Hey are you here yet? Ok cool. Yah I'm at that café by my apartment, you know the only one. I already got my food but I haven't really started eating yet. Ok, come on. I'll see you in a little while, bye!"

Hisana was at the café in seven minutes, and Rukia pushed some of her food out of the way so she had a little more room.

"Aren't you going to get some food?" Rukia asked. Hisana shook her head. "No it's ok. I have a strict diet." She replied, pulling out a sandwich and a bottle of water. Hisana still looked thin, and her face looked much paler than last time.

"Are you alright Hisana?" Rukia asked. Hisana looked aggravated by the question.

"Yah, I'm fine." She replied shortly, dropping her purse onto the ground. Rukia raised an eyebrow, but let Hisana's words pass. She never snapped at Rukia in such a way.

"Alright, so tell me about why you're leaving Seireitei Inc." Hisana asked, taking a small bite from her disgusting looking sandwich.

Rukia went into girl talk mode, giving Hisana every detail she could think of in ten minutes. She started all the way from finding out who her mystery prince was, all the way to wanting to quit. Hisana was laughing at the end.

"I told you that finding out who the guy was would be awkward!" Hisana cried, laughing some more. Rukia rolled her eyes, not daring to admit that her sister had won the stupid argument from a month ago.

"And the worst part is that I told him! Hisana, some people were telling me not to quit, to stay at Seireitei Inc., but I just don't know anymore. How can I really face him again?"

Hisana rolled her eyes. "Rukia Rukia Rukia," She began, patting her sister on the head. "Do you know how many people that I work with have slept with each other and have faced each other every single day? It's a normal thing. Just don't think about it."

"Ok yah, I know that people do that kind of thing, but I think my situation is a little different considering it was my boss at the time and I had no idea! It wasn't like a mutual thing where we knew we were going to wake up to nothing being different. That one stupid kiss has totally messed up everything!" Rukia exclaimed.

"Then quit Rukia. Either way, it's your decision. Finding a job right now is going to be a nightmare, but if you really don't think you can handle it, then don't. But I know you better than anyone Rukia, and I think you can do it. Just try." Hisana told her, not looking sympathetic at all.

She could hear Hinamori and Renji's words echoing in her brain, saying almost the exact same thing as her sister. Was Rukia just being a wimp? Was she a coward for not wanting to face him?

Hisana glanced at her watch and stood up. "Oh crap! I forgot about a meeting I have! I'm sorry but I have to go!" Hisana said quickly, stuffing her drink in her purse. Rukia chuckled lightly, not surprised.

"Well when will you be back in town?" Rukia asked, following her sister out the door. Hisana called for a taxi, and turned to her sister.

"How come I always have to be the one to visit you?"

"Because sometimes you're in Paris France, and I can't exactly take time off to go there any time soon." Rukia replied to her sister's teasing comment.

Hisana laughed and waved goodbye to her twin. "Anyways, I don't know the next time I'll be back, but I'll call you when I know. Love you bye!" Hisana yelled as the taxi pulled away.

Rukia grinned to herself and turned into the other direction, deciding she wanted to walk to her apartment.

She felt a little selfish for ranting on and on about her pathetic life. "I really hope Hisana is ok." Rukia whispered, turning a corner.

The rest of the walk home was spent thinking about what everyone had said to her. Aizen, Renji, Hinamori, and even her sister Hisana, had told her the same thing. Rukia was a big girl and could make her own decisions, but for once, she was siding with everyone was telling her.

And it looked like someone else was going to be giving their opinion as Rukia walked up to her stairs, finding Kurosaki Ichigo standing next to her door, hands shoved in his pocket.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **This is by far the worst cliffhanger yet right? HAHA. Ok, so what on Earth is Ichigo going to say to her? Is he going to be nice? Or brutally mean, like almost always? How will Rukia react to seeing him? Will she be able to handle it? You'll know by the next chapter!!!!

REVIEW!! I love you guys! I've been struggling with writing this, not because of what I know what I want to happen, but I'm trying to keep it flowing and good, so I apologize if I'm failing, I go back and edit this stuff so much!!


	12. Ch11: Suddenly Obvious

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

I was going to update on Sunday, but I figured since a lot of you guys hate me right now for leaving the chapter on such a tight spot I would update a little quicker, so hopefully this will make up for it! What will Ichigo say? How will Rukia take it?

OH and I hit 40 reviews! YAY!!! I love you guys!! Read and Enjoy!

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.11 Suddenly Obvious**

Rukia stared back and forth from her doorway to her boss, to be more specific, ex-boss. She continued to do that for what felt like eternity, not sure if he was real or not. It was when he finally spoke, hearing the deepness of his voice, that she knew what she witnessed before her was actual.

"Ah, Rukia-san." Ichigo stated, looking down at the ground. Rukia was too stunned to notice any sort of softness or emotion in his voice.

She went to say something, respond at least, but couldn't find her voice. Rukia didn't move an inch from her spot, keeping the good five feet distance.

"I talked to Aizen-san, and he said he'd give you a raise of twenty thousand instead of ten," Ichigo paused.

"If you come back."

The words "If you come back" struck Rukia hard, and she finally looked straight at him.

The usual scowl that always filtered half of his face was no where to be seen, showing a much more nervous expression.

"Why do you want me to come back?" Rukia asked, at last getting the courage to speak. Ichigo leaned off the wall and took a hand out of his pocket, running it through his hair.

"I'll cut back on the paperwork, and if you want, you don't have to stay so late afterwards." Rukia could tell it was hard for him to say, and she felt appreciation for it.

"I just— I don't understand." Rukia told him, looking at him seriously.

"What don't you understand?" He asked, the scowl threatening to return. Rukia sighed, glancing to the right. It was hard to look at him, knowing what she had previously said to him, and what he now knew and understood.

"Why? I mean, I yelled at you, and now you're at my apartment, asking me to come back."

Rukia wanted to laugh when Ichigo suddenly appeared extremely embarrassed, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting unnaturally. Ichigo took a deep breath, slumping his shoulders for a moment, and looked at Rukia, revealing an emotion she could never understand.

"No one else can get the job done." He stated, ripping his eyes away once the words were spoken. Rukia couldn't help the smile that came.

"So this is his way of apologizing…" Rukia thought to herself, staring at the nervous man in front of her.

"Well look, you don't have to give me your answer now, but just try to let me or Aizen-san know soon. I have to get back to work now." Ichigo muttered, brushing past Rukia to get to the stairs. Before Rukia could even think, or breathe, she spun around.

"Alright! I accept!" She nearly shouted. Ichigo stopped at his spot, and turned his head enough to look at her. He was smirking.

"Then I'll see you bright and early tomorrow." He replied, whirling back around and strutting out of the building. Rukia nodded out of habit.

She placed her key in the key whole, and opened the door. Rukia held herself well in front of him, but the moment the door closed behind, she let her mouth drop.

"What was he doing coming all the way to my house? And why did he say that I was the only one that could get the job done? I only worked for him a few hours!" She shouted. First she was happy at him coming down to speak to her, but now she felt bitter.

"And what about what I said to him? Surely it bothered him!" Suddenly, Rukia froze.

Had he already known that it was her that kissed him? Thinking about how she found her earring in his office, Rukia tried to remember where she had placed the piece of his mask.

Rukia sighed, remembering where she put it. "Good thing I have a key for those drawers at work." Rukia muttered, recalling the time she put the piece in the drawer to her left, locking it securely.

She felt a queasy feeling in her stomach at realizing the answer she gave him. Rukia was going back to work for him. Even if it had been a day since she "officially" quit, it felt like so much longer.

"I can't believe he missed work to come and talk to me. Am I really that important?"

Rukia claimed to hate the man, that everything he did was pure evil and torture, that he really and simply didn't know how to be human and yet, she felt a strange happiness.

Why did she feel so many emotions for the guy? First off, she kissed him, and then, she wanted him to be in pain for all the cruel things he would say, and now, he was coming to her doorstep, practically begging her to take the job back.

"Maybe they're just really low on employees or something." Rukia mumbled. But that couldn't be right. Rukia had overhead Aizen-san exclaiming that Seireitei Inc. was doing better than ever, and that they would need to possibly lay-off a few employees.

Rukia grinned when she found a huge tub of ice cream in her fridge, and pulled it out. She found her spatula sized spoon and sat down in front of the TV. There was some action thriller on one of the movie channels, and seeing people punch and lash out at each other made her nerves calm down a bit. She eventually called Hinamori to tell her the "good" news. Hinamori was ecstatic; thrilled to have Rukia coming back, and surprised that Ichigo came all the way to her apartment to ask her.

She could have gone to bed early that night, but realizing she was going back to her job gave her a tremendously nauseous feeling inside. The bath she took did not sooth her tense muscles, and Rukia woke up the next morning with a bad back pain. She thought over the words her friends and sister had given her, and knew she had to at least try.

Rukia was glad she had the energy to dress a little cuter than usual for her big day at work. It was Friday she quickly remembered, glad to already have the weekend coming.

"Crap, that stupid dinner party is tomorrow night." Rukia muttered, remembering her agreement with Renji.

She wanted to walk to work to let her anxiety calm, but because of her snazzy black pumps on her feet, she decided to save the aches in her feet for later.

Rukia stopped right in front of the door to Seireitei Inc., gulping loudly. It felt like her first day all over again, only ten times worse.

"Please let things be better. Please let Kurosaki-san be nicer, like he was yesterday." Rukia whispered. To her surprise, people weren't staring at her or whispering about her, in fact, they didn't notice her at all.

She was thankful too, because Rukia had completely forgotten about all the dark glares, the small whispers coming from people around her, where some people even laughed or giggled once she passed.

Rukia suddenly questioned her sanity when she reached her office, which looked exactly the same, like nothing ever happened, like she had never even left Seireitei Inc. Habit controlled her mind, and she set her purse down next to her computer, turning it on.

Checking her email threw her by surprise when there was a note from Aizen himself, sent to her personally.

**Dear Kuchiki-san,**

**I am thrilled you have decided to come back to Seireitei Inc. If you have any questions or problems, please come by and ask me. I will assist you with anything you need help with.**

**-Sousuke Aizen**

Rukia smirked at the short and simple email from her boss, glad to know he cared, or seemed to care. Aizen had been very kind to her though, telling her things she obviously didn't need to hear with Ichigo and all, and even letting her know she was welcome back. Rukia didn't know if it was a normal thing for a boss to say to a once quitting employee, but the way he spoke made her think he meant his words.

Suddenly, there was a quick knock on the door and a squeal. "Rukia-san! You're back!" Hinamori cried. She hugged Rukia from the side, and glanced at her computer.

"Aizen-san sent you an email?" Hinamori asked, suddenly loosing her cheerfulness.

"Aren't we nosy?" Rukia teased. Hinamori didn't look humored for a second, but grinned none the less.

"It's just a welcome back email, nothing fancy." Rukia replied, wondering why on Earth Hinamori would care about Aizen sending her a very short email.

"Anyways, why are you here so early?" Rukia asked. Hinamori shrugged her shoulders. "Well, I don't have anything for the dinner party tomorrow night. I figured I would try to get stuff done so I can leave a little earlier to go shopping."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I didn't know you were going." She stated to Hinamori, feeling puzzled.

"Well, I was asked by someone to go." Hinamori replied, blushing slightly. Rukia immediately was curious.

"Who?" Rukia nagged, pulling on Hinamori's arm. Hinamori never told her about her love life, or drama. Then again, Rukia never gave her a chance to with all the rambling she did.

"Can't tell you." Hinamori replied, giggling at seeing Rukia's quickly aggravated face.

"Why not? Wasn't I the one to tell you quite possibly my biggest secret, and you can't even tell me who you're date is?" Rukia demanded, feeling a wave of rejection.

"First of all, it isn't much of a secret anymore, seeing as the sole person you were keeping it from now knows." Hinamori muttered humorously. Rukia cringed at that, remembering she would have to face him again in probably five minutes.

"And second, you're going tomorrow night, so you'll see me there. I just don't want to talk about it right now because it's kind of a long story."

Rukia turned to her computer, signing out of her email. "Ok, whatever you say." She mumbled. Hinamori grinned, looking satisfied at annoying Rukia.

Another person barged into her door a second later, looking bubbly. "Kuchiki-san!" Inoue exclaimed, making her way next to Hinamori and Rukia.

"Is it true that you quit and then came back?" Inoue asked bluntly. Rukia closed her eyes, feeling even more aggravation.

"Yes Inoue-san." Rukia replied quickly, ignoring the look Inoue gave her. And then, a third person came into her office.

"Glad you're back Rukia, I knew you would be." Renji stated proudly, looking as if he won some sort of award. Rukia was suddenly feeling claustrophobic with all of the people in her office, minus Hinamori.

Hinamori never bugged her, even if her words were sometimes too truthful. Rukia needed a friend like that, especially with the messed up drama she had.

"Alright, well Kurosaki-san is probably going to come in here soon, so if you want to avoid getting in trouble for being "off duty" then I suggest you leave while you can." Rukia humored, standing up from her seat. Her office was big enough for her, a small and petite woman, but added with just three other people, and the room suddenly felt like a shack.

After Hinamori winked at Rukia (for good luck she supposed), all three of them left, leaving her alone in her office. She sat back down in front of her computer, looking for any files she needed to look over or type up, but she found nothing.

"Should I just sit here and wait?" Rukia thought. "Or should I go to his office and ask him?"

The first option sounded much more appealing considering that Rukia found her chair rather cozy, and going to him first made her feel uneasy. When another five minutes passed, and the old sports magazine she read was boring due to it being out of date, Rukia sighed, and stood from her chair.

"I guess I'll have to go with option two." She whispered, adjusting her clothes properly. Rukia was all in all nervous to talk to her boss. Just because he was nice to her yesterday didn't mean he would turn around and be cold again, pissing her off .

"He's done it several times before…" Rukia murmured.

For once, Rukia walked at a normal pace, not too fast, and not too slow. She was glad to feel somewhat relaxed, and not feeling some sort of déjà vu which she usually felt when walking to his office.

Rukia didn't take a deep breath before knocking, and let her knuckles hit his office doorway several times, feeling curious as to how he would act to her.

Instead of hearing a cold voice shout words like "come in" or "wait one second", Kurosaki Ichigo opened his door seconds later, looking calmer than ever.

"Ah, Kurosaki-san," Rukia began, noting how surprised she felt to see him standing so close to her so unexpectedly. She blushed for some unfathomable reason.

Ichigo nodded and opened his door, allowing Rukia in. He closed the door behind them and strode over to his computer, clicking out of a few things.

"I told Aizen-san yesterday you decided to come back, so everything has been finalized."

"I don't need to sign any paperwork or anything?" Rukia asked, not understanding why she asked something so random. She never asked the question before, so why then of all moments?

"Not yet. It'll take a few weeks to get the changes made. Aizen-san will put the paperwork in your box when it comes."

Rukia nodded, waiting for his instructions. "There isn't too much work to get done today, but just giving you a heads up, next week is going to be busy" He told her, handing her a fat envelope. Rukia quickly noticed how he worded his sentence, adding the "busy" part.

"Is this all?" Rukia asked, poking around the large envelope to find only several files to be typed up, and just one of the new paper work packets that had started their whole fight from last time.

"Yes, well, I'll need you to make some copies later today, but that should be it." He replied, sticking his hands in his pockets.

What happened to the load of work he always needed to get done? What happened to his sharpness, his coldness?

It was hard to admit, but Ichigo was being nicer than ever, and Rukia really liked it. Yes, Ichigo had shown her his softer side when she hit her head in the elevator, granted that it didn't come naturally, but more along the lines of instinct. At that moment, Ichigo didn't really need to be so open to her, well as open as he would be with her, and she felt happiness in understanding that. Unless he was just sweetening her up for what was to come later…

"Alright, well thank you." Rukia replied, giving him a good smile. Ichigo smirked in return, looking at her for a good three seconds before turning away.

"Come by if you need any help." He told her before she shut the door.

Rukia smiled all the way to her office, and she wasn't exactly sure why. Why did she suddenly notice things that she never noticed before?

"I can't believe it, but I think my office is cleaner than his!" Rukia exclaimed mentally. She had been in his office many times, and she never noticed how cluttered it was.

And his eye color, they were so hazel, it was strange. "Maybe because I actually made eye contact with him without being angry." Rukia muttered. And how come she was feeling so, content suddenly?

The files Ichigo gave her were easy, and the one paper work packet Rukia had to fill out was a doozy, making her feel even more uplifted.

Rukia made her way to his office for the second time that day feeling so unstressed, it was wonderful. All her cares in the world were no where to be seen, and she was so grateful. It was 4:30 in the afternoon, and remembering that she could leave her old and normal time made Rukia nearly squeal.

Ichigo answered his door like the previous time, causing Rukia to not only be surprised again, but to blush for the second time that day.

"Here's what I need copied. Try to get it done by the end of the day." He told her, tossing her the thick packets. Rukia was simply amazed.

She had an entire hour to get done them copies? He used to give her a mere ten minutes! He smirked again before she left, giving her the same three second glance like before. Rukia turned to leave his office, and for some reason, her eyes fell upon the table where her earring had been, to see it gone.

Rukia managed to keep walking, but only because she wanted to get out of his office. "How is it I can easily forget? It's not normal! Almost the entire day I didn't think about it, the ball that is, so why? Shouldn't it be awkward for me to be around him?" Rukia screamed mentally.

It really should have been uncomfortable for her to talk to him, to just think about him, but it wasn't. She liked seeing him looking pleased, smirking, which was basically a bright smile for a guy like him, but still…

"And he knows too, which is probably why he moved the earring. It probably embarrassed him, gosh I'm such an idiot!" Rukia thought, making it to the copy room in one piece.

She was glad to see Inoue standing at one of the copy machines, humming to some music.

"Oh Kuchiki-san! I didn't see you come in!" Inoue chirped, stacking some papers in her hands neatly.

"Just getting some copies done. What are you up to tonight?" Rukia asked, trying to get her suddenly missing earring off her mind.

"Um, just stuff." Inoue replied blushing slightly. Rukia raised an eyebrow, but shrugged her shoulders, seeing how tense Inoue suddenly looked.

"How is it being back with Kurosaki-san?" Inoue asked, smiling once again. Rukia waited for the copies to print, she had a lot to get done.

"It's not too bad. He's been pretty nice, not throwing so much work at me. I'm glad really, because if he was being rude the way he was before, I would quit, again." Rukia muttered. Why did everything she say end up being about Ichigo?

Inoue chuckled. "Yah, I can see that. He's not so bad though after a while, he's been nice to me too lately." She replied, making an expression Rukia couldn't quite figure out.

It took a good fifteen minutes to get the copies done, and she made her way out of the small room.

She dropped the copies off in Ichigo's box, not wanting to see him again. He just confused her too much.

Rukia had a good thirty minutes to do absolutely nothing when she reached her office, and she decided to do some major thinking.

Something had been bothering her from the start of the day, and it was how easily Rukia was accepting being back at Seireitei Inc. Even if it had been a single day, it was still overwhelming, Rukia decided. So why was she being so tolerant? Rukia remembered quite clearly what she had said to Ichigo, and now she was acting as if nothing had ever happened.

Her entire previous night had been spent on worrying about how she would deal with Ichigo and their rather awkward situation, and she talked to him normally, even smiling at him. And what about noticing his eyes of all things? Where the heck did that come from?

Through everything Rukia had experienced with him, the ball, the elevator thing, seeing him at a concert, going to the other branch with him, yelling and admitting her deepest secret to him, quitting because of him, and agreeing to take back her job in front of him, she never knew what sort of emotion to feel.

Sometimes she knew it was supposed to be anger, because he could be harsh at times, but then at moments she felt this hope in him, like the time he helped her on the elevator, and even the ball. And now, he was being kind to her, giving her less work, and showing emotion to her. No, he wasn't talking an awful lot, but it was improvement from how he acted before.

"_There isn't too much work to get done today, but just giving you a heads up, next week is going to be busy." _

Why was it that he would suddenly say something nice, or better yet, do something out of the ordinary, like wanting her to be his secretary, that made her smile?

"What if, no, that would be impossible…" Rukia whispered. What if Ichigo suddenly being nice had to do with him knowing? Was he glad to know it was her? It seemed to be a pretty far fetched idea, but Rukia liked it.

And maybe, finally, she was starting to see what had clouded her mind all along. Maybe she liked him acting nice to her, smirking at her, and looking at her, because perhaps some part of her liked him.

"I can't believe it; I can't believe I'm admitting to actually_ liking_ Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia muttered in a very hushed voice.

It was only natural, knowing that he kissed her, and was kind to her on a night that felt like so long ago. Perhaps there were reasons to why he was so rude, and maybe, just maybe, Rukia could find out.

With a new resolve for her job, Rukia grinned for the rest of the day, which was only about ten minutes.

"Rukia!" She heard Renji shout as Rukia weaved through the crowd of escaping employees. Rukia pulled to the side so Renji could catch up with her.

"So is tomorrow night still a go?" Renji asked, the smile on his face telling her he already knew his answer.

"What do you think?" Rukia replied sarcastically.

"Well, I think it's a yes, but you're so confusing at times."

"I think you just like hearing me say that I'm going on date with you." Rukia stated playfully, a smile escaping her lips. Renji chuckled, and they walked with the crowd out the doors of Seireitei Inc.

"So it's a yes then?

"Yes, Renji."

"Was your day good?" Renji asked. For once, Rukia enjoyed the reply she gave him.

"Yah, it was great." She told him, grinning. Renji looked surprised, and irritated at the same time.

"That's good to hear…" Renji mumbled, looking at the ground. Rukia pulled for a taxi, quickly remembering her aching feet.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7:30." Renji called to as she opened the taxi door.

"Ok! I'll see you then!" Rukia shouted back, waving at Renji awkwardly with her purse arm.

When Rukia went to bed that night, she dreamed of her night at the ball, where she had kissed her Prince Charming, Kurosaki Ichigo.

There were many unsolved mysteries that Kurosaki Ichigo kept well hidden, and Rukia thought that maybe getting a chance to talk to him at the dinner party would help out.

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**A/N: **FINALLY! Rukia realizes her feelings for Ichigo!! I mean c'mon! You think that after everything she went through with him, plus the ball, that she would figure it out! But Rukia's sort of clueless to that stuff and Ichigo too. And I just want to point out something, incase anyone is confused. I tried writing it in the chapter, but I don't know if everyone understood. Do you guys notice that anytime Ichigo's nice to her, Rukia feels happy always, but the second he's mean, she hates him? Is it really hate? Or irritation that she knows she's, I don't know, _attracted_ to him? Am I making any sense at all?

I know I didn't really imply the awkwardness there with Rukia having to talk to Ichigo, but I figure if he's being so kind to her, to the point where she can solely think of that when she's figuring out herself she likes him suddenly, then no, I don't see the problem.

**REVIEW!** This was kind of a turning point chapter, and I hope it didn't sound rushed with Rukia suddenly seeing Ichigo in a different perspective after all this time. Feel free to tell me your thoughts if you disagree, I'm hear to listen (just don't flame).

LOVE YOU ALL!!!! LIKE FOR REALZ!! Next chapter will be up on Wednesday. Hint, some jealousy in the next chapter.


	13. Ch12: How Cruel Jealousy Could Be

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Woot! Ch.12! Getting close to the half way mark!! So how's it going guys?? Liking my story? I think you do considering you have reviews SO FRIGGIN MUCH!! I mean, I hit 300 reviews by 12 chapters, when none of my other stories have hit 200… Seriously, what would the world do without you guys? I really don't know… Anyways, Rukia goes to the dinner party and well… just read and you'll see.

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.12 How Cruel Jealousy Could Be**

Of all nights to not be late, tonight was the one.

"Renji! You're just now getting gas? Are we going to get in trouble for being late? I sure hope not. Alright, if Yamamoto-san is upset, I'm blaming everything on you. Bye." Rukia hung up the phone and dropped it into her purse.

He was supposed to pick Rukia up at 7:30, and now, it was 7:45. Feeling nervous and jittery about being late, Rukia pulled a small mirror out of her purse to make sure her face looked alright.

Rukia wanted to impress someone, and sadly, it wasn't Renji.

"I don't even know if he's going or not…" Rukia mumbled. Surely Ichigo would go considering he was Aizen's main assistant, but then again, she remembered him saying from the ball that he wasn't social.

Rukia suddenly laughed at how her look at Ichigo had changed. She was now comparing him to the ball, which she had sworn from the beginning never to do. After checking her face, Rukia walked into her room to the bigger mirror, scoping out her outfit.

She wanted to give the impression of elegance. The dinner party was semi-formal, and Rukia's black and champagne white dress seamed to fit the description. The top half of the dress, reaching her hips, was black, and fit tightly onto her skin, making her tiny stomach look even tinier. The rest of the dress was the champagne color, floating down to her feet beautifully. Rukia had to admit she loved the dress, and the accessories she wore to match looked perfect. She pinned most of her hair up in the back, leaving the pieces in the front to hang down.

Being bored with looking at herself, Rukia turned the TV on. There was some suspense movie on one of the channels and settled with that, waiting until her date came.

Finally, about fifteen minutes later, Renji was at her apartment. He looked guilty, so Rukia wasn't too harsh on him.

"You should have gotten gas before you know…" Rukia muttered as they made their way down the stairs, Rukia walking carefully so she wouldn't fall.

"I know I'm sorry, but I had to get this suit tailored, and it ended up taking a much longer than planned." Renji said softly, helping Rukia into his expensive car.

"What is this dinner party for exactly anyways?" Rukia asked as Renji turned his car on.

"Yamamoto-san invites several people from the corporation, and other corporations that help run this one to discuss future matters approaching. He is usually the only one to speak, and it's not the entire time. We'll have our chance to mingle and talk after we eat. They even play music for dancing."

"It is a dinner party I suppose." Rukia replied, turning her head out the window.

"You look gorgeous by the way." Renji stated. Rukia turned to him, smiling.

"You don't look half bad yourself." She replied. Rukia had worked hard to look good, and she was glad that at least one person noticed her attempt.

To Renji and Rukia's luck, people were still arriving when they reached the hotel, a lot in fact.

"Wait, how come so many people are late?" Renji asked a man next to him.

"Yamamoto-san always tells us to be early. He can't afford to have people late, so he sets the time early so that people will get here on time." The man said. Renji nodded and the man walked forward with his date.

"You're very lucky Abarai Renji." Rukia muttered warningly, wrapping an arm around his. Renji laughed nervously, and they made their way into the banquet room.

Just like Renji had told her, a small group of band members were playing soft music in the corner, and people were walking around, laughing light-heartedly, while others were sitting at tables, looking bored with their dates.

"What a party..." Rukia stated sarcastically. Renji shook his head in a playful manner.

"Not every party can be fun and games you know." He replied. Rukia immediately wanted to slap him.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" She asked angrily, almost pulling her arm out of his grasp. Just because Renji knew what happened at the masquerade ball didn't mean he had the right to make jokes about it. The only one allowed to that was Hinamori or Hisana, who she told out of free will.

"It was a joke Rukia, chill out." Renji replied coolly, looking for their table. She rolled her eyes and moved closer again. Their seats were pretty close to the front, and Rukia figured Renji must have been an important guy to the corporation.

"How about that, Aizen-san is sitting here too." Renji said smiling pointing at a seat just a few ways from theirs, looking full of cockiness.

"Oh shut up Renji." Rukia replied smirking, setting her purse down in her seat. She began scanning the area, hoping to rather see Hinamori and her "mystery" date, or Ichigo, and who he could have possibly brought.

She didn't catch sight of either, but Rukia did manage to bump into Inoue Orihime.

"Inoue-san! I didn't know you were coming!" Rukia chirped, smiling at the girl. Inoue looked pretty in her light purple dress. Her hair was down with a few loose curls going through.

"Yah! I didn't know you were coming either. Who are you with?" Inoue asked, looking around Rukia to see if her date was nearby.

"I came with Renji." Rukia replied, pointing at Renji sitting down at the table, talking to someone she didn't recognize.

"Oh, well actually, have you seen Kurosaki-san?" Inoue asked nervously, looking over Rukia's head in search for something, or someone.

"No I haven't, why?" Rukia asked.

"Oh, there he is!" Inoue beamed, strutting passed Rukia. Rukia turned her head slowly, not sure if she really wanted to believe what she knew she would see.

And sure enough, Inoue wrapped her arm around Ichigo's, just like Rukia had with Renji, because Rukia was Renji's date, which only meant…

"Sorry Kuchiki-san, I was looking for him but yah, Kurosaki-san invited me!" Inoue chirped, clutching onto his arm tighter with more excitement.

Rukia finally looked at him, and saw how appealing the suit made him appear. He was staring back at her, not breathing out a single word for a moment.

"I didn't know you were coming Rukia-san." Ichigo mumbled, looking away. Rukia crossed her arms in front of her, suddenly feeling that awkward feeling.

"Yah, I came with Abarai Renji." She replied, forgetting that Inoue was still latched to him.

"Ah, I see." He stated. "Well we better go find out table Kurosaki-san!" Inoue told him, pulling at his arm. Ichigo's free hand was shoved into his pocket as the two moved away.

Rukia watched the two disappear before making her way back to Renji, taking her seat next to him. "I see you've already discovered Kurosaki-san." Renji muttered.

"Don't get so jealous." She replied sharply, not daring to look at his facial expression.

"I-I'm not jealous!" He defended, pointing to himself.

Rukia smirked and turned away, looking for Hinamori now that she had found Ichigo, with Inoue.

"Of all people, Inoue?" Rukia muttered mentally. Inoue was completely opposite of Ichigo: hyper, bubbly, and optimistic, so why would he, a generally pessimistic like guy, choose her for a date?

She lost all interest in finding Hinamori when she spotted Ichigo and Inoue searching for her table. Inoue was really close to Ichigo, too close…

Rukia turned away. Why should she care? She knew she had figured out her weird feelings for him, even if they weren't that strong, but getting jealous, over Inoue Orihime? Ichigo didn't even look like he cared to have Inoue with him.

"Maybe she was just a last resort…" Rukia whispered to herself. Inoue sure seemed happy to be with the guy.

"You alright?" Renji asked, tapping Rukia's shoulder in an almost annoying way.

"Yah, why?" Rukia asked. Renji rolled his eyes, obviously not wanting to say whatever was on his mind.

"Oh look! Here's our table!" Came the voice of Inoue. Rukia darted her eyes forward to see Ichigo and Inoue standing across from her.

"Wow, you sit right next to Kuchiki-san!" Inoue beamed, grinning wider than ever. Ichigo didn't make any sort of reaction as Inoue hauled him to their seats. And slowly, Kurosaki Ichigo took his seat next to Rukia, avoiding looking at her. Rukia looked at him from the side, crossing her arms, again. The room suddenly felt cold, and Rukia didn't think it was because of the air conditioning.

"Is this really happening?" Rukia thought to herself. Of all the things to occur, Ichigo had to sit next to her. She wasn't in anyway upset, but the sudden uncomfortable feeling was there, and she turned to Renji, hoping that he could distract her.

"Hey Renji why don't we look for Hinamori-san?" Rukia suggested, placing a hand on his shoulder. Renji shrugged.

"Sure, if you want." He replied. Apparently Renji hadn't noticed the person sitting to Rukia's right.

"Looks like Kurosaki-san is sitting next to you." Renji mumbled, looking half humored, half annoyed. Rukia pulled him up from his chair and escorted him out to where people were talking and mingling.

"Yah, I noticed." Rukia whispered once they were clear. She never did catch sight of Hinamori, and it wasn't until Yamamoto-san called everyone back to their seats that Rukia and Renji finally sat down.

On the way back to her seat, Rukia couldn't help but glance at Ichigo, and think about how good he looked. She blushed and pulled her focus away when Ichigo turned his eyes to her. It was even worse when she sat down next to him, almost asking Renji to switch seats with her.

Once everyone was seated, Yamamoto began speaking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am glad you could all attend this event tonight. We are going to be covering a lot of information tonight concerning Seireitei Inc. and I hope the knowledge helps you all with what the future will bring."

Rukia saw several people on the stage behind him, one being Yoruichi, Yamamoto's great niece, and next to her a strange looking guy with blondish shaggy hair.

"Now, before I begin, I wanted to recognize my two assistants who have been working very hard this past year. Sousuke Aizen and Ichimaru Gin." Yamamoto stated. The crowd clapped, and the two men, along with their dates, stood next to Yamamoto.

Rukia wasn't surprised to see Matsumoto as Gin's date, remembering how she called him by his first name without using any honorific. "I've always seen them together anyways…" Rukia thought to herself. She avoided looking at Gin with all costs, remembering the last time she felt when making eye contact with the snake-like man.

Rukia then turned to Aizen, and who his date could possibly be. Her eyes widened momentarily.

"Well look at that, Hinamori-san came with Aizen-san." Renji whispered to Rukia, looking straight at the stage. No wonder Hinamori didn't want to explain and talk about who her date was to Rukia, she would have totally flipped out!

Like she was now.

"I can't believe Hinamori-san is here with Aizen-san!" Rukia whispered back to Renji. Hinamori looked happy too, and nervous, but Rukia supposed that came with standing in front of all the people at the dinner party.

"I wonder what sparked that…" Rukia thought, watching their every move. Hinamori's arm was snaked under Aizen's, just like every other couple she'd seen. Rukia completely missed Yamamoto's kind words to Aizen and Gin, and the couples left the stage to take their seats.

Seeing the two empty chairs next to Renji, Rukia remembered they were sitting at her table. Even if Hinamori wouldn't be next to her, she at least had a good friend close by. Inoue was a pretty good friend too, but considering who her date was, and how it was frustrating Rukia, she didn't want to talk to lively woman.

Yamamoto spoke for the next hour and a half, leaving Rukia completely bored. Even Renji, the person asked to come, didn't pay attention much. He fiddled with his napkin the entire time, and Rukia wasn't any expert, but she could tell when a guy, especially a guy like Renji, who had the tendency to not listen, was not listening at the moment.

Rukia averted her eyes to the right, sneakily scoping out the other guy next to her that she was slightly infatuated with. Unlike Renji, who messed with a napkin, Ichigo was spinning his ring around on his right finger, the ring that Rukia had found, and the ring that had pretty much settled the crazy idea that Ichigo was the one she kissed at the ball.

But unlike Renji, who had his eyes completely focused on the napkin, Ichigo's eyes were on Yamamoto, and Rukia could only assume he was listening. She nearly gritted her teeth when she saw Inoue lean closer to Ichigo, and Rukia hoped she didn't look obvious as she leaned forward, "stretching" her neck, and looking at just how close Inoue was.

Once again, too close.

Realizing Rukia must have been bored out of her mind to be making such assumptions, and getting even more frustrated at Inoue Orihime, she tried to pay attention to Yamamoto.

"And that concludes my speech. If any one has questions or concerns, please talk with me once I am done speaking. Enjoy the rest of the evening." Yamamoto said, turning away to leave. Rukia joined the mob of clappers, and was glad the speech was finally done.

"Finally, look, I really need to use the restroom, so I'll be right back." Renji whispered, quickly standing from his chair. Rukia nodded and watched him walk away.

Figuring she could finally talk to Hinamori and possibly drive her crazy with questions, she soon found Hinamori, along with Aizen, walking onto the dance floor, greeting people.

Rukia looked around the table, and apparently Inoue had left too, leaving her alone with Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Should I say something?" Rukia thought. She didn't want to be rude, especially since he'd been nice to her, so what should she do?

Ichigo beat her to her thoughts. "That was a long freaking speech." Ichigo grumbled. Rukia turned to him, eyes slightly widened, glad he was looking straight ahead.

"Yes it was." Rukia replied, still a little stunned. Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back in his seat. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"I really didn't want to come. Yamamoto-san thinks he needs to have this and yah, I guess I can see his point, but nobody listens." Ichigo muttered.

Rukia chuckled lightly, leaning forward onto the table. "It wasn't all too bad, I mean, the food's pretty good." Rukia replied.

She saw Ichigo from the side nod. "That's the only part I look forward to."

Rukia smiled again. "So what's going to be happening next week that's going to make it busy?" She asked, looking at the plate of butter to help cool her nerves.

Ichigo sighed again, and sat up, placing his elbows on the table. "Yamamoto's big planning period time is in March, and the first is tomorrow, so we'll be doing double the filing and reports. I hate to say it, but a bunch of people will be staying afterwards for the next several weeks, including me and you."

"So what is he just trying some new budgeting ideas or something?" Rukia asked, looking at Ichigo. He looked back, not letting his eyes move away for several seconds, and finally glanced to the side, dropping his arms into his lap.

"Something like that. Just do what I tell you and you'll be fine." Ichigo replied. Rukia wanted to change the subject from work, since they were getting onto the subject too much already.

If Rukia wanted to get any life out of Ichigo, then she needed to bring up something different, spruce up the flow of their conversation in a light manner.

"Can I ask you something?" Rukia asked, hoping the question wouldn't somehow offend him.

"Yah what?" He replied, taking a sip of his water.

"Who gave you that ring?"

The glass in Ichigo's hand froze at his lips, and slowly, he set it down, staring at the glass.

"I'm sorry, it's none of my—"

"My mother." He replied.

Rukia's eyes widened at his sudden response. "Well actually, my dad technically gave it to me, but my mom gave it to him before —" Ichigo cut his words off, and Rukia had the feeling she knew why.

Before anything else could be said, Inoue sat back down next to Ichigo, grinning at him brightly.

"Do you want to go talk to anyone?" Inoue asked, leaning close to Ichigo. He took his hand off the glass he was holding onto, and nodded. The two stood up, and before Ichigo began walking off, he turned his head to Rukia.

"I'll see yah around." Ichigo said to Rukia, waving at her slightly before the two disappeared. Renji didn't come back for another minute or so, and Rukia was glad. She was grinning from ear to ear, happy to get to talk to him, glad to see Ichigo out of his usually closed off shell.

Renji escorted Rukia onto the dance floor. No one was dancing, yet, so people talked to their fellow employees, trying to keep their reputations, attitudes, and postures, at hand. Rukia kept a look-out for Ichigo and Inoue, who they would talk to, and what sort of look Ichigo would give the overly happy girl. She didn't need to know Inoue's movements, for the girl only smiled, tugging on Ichigo's arm.

Rukia had the feeling his arm would be sore in the morning…

Turning her head back from the Ichigo and his fun little date, Rukia grinned at Hinamori. "You have some serious explaining to do." Rukia whispered, grabbing Hinamori's arm lightly. Aizen wasn't by her, so after excusing herself from Renji, Rukia pulled Hinamori to a table far away from everyone else.

"Who do you keep looking at Rukia? Renji?" Hinamori asked. Rukia cursed her bad attempt at trying to be sly. She placed her elbows on the table, sighing deeply with her hands on her cheek.

"No one." Rukia replied. For once, Rukia wanted to give Hinamori the spot light. She wanted to ask the questions, and Hinamori give the answers. "Anyways, like I said, you better explain." Rukia warned, glaring down Hinamori. Hinamori smiled, and looked away.

"I don't know how it all happened, but one minute I was in his office, discussing a small issue with him, and the next, he was asking me to attend the dinner party with him, as his date." Hinamori told her looking happy, and Rukia grinned at the girl.

"It's just so surprising, not saying you don't deserve a guy like him, but I thought about whom your date could be, and Aizen-san was not on the list of lucky men." Rukia replied, fingering a napkin sitting in front of her, not even thinking about the fact that a complete stranger had used it.

"He's really nice, always asking me what I want, and wondering my opinion on things. It does feel a little weird since he's our boss, but I think I might like him. He's by far one of the handsomest men I've ever met." Hinamori told Rukia, chuckling at the end. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, who were you looking at? You better tell me." Hinamori stated, taking her turn at glaring at Rukia. Rukia sat back in her seat, taking a deep breath.

"Don't you always get sick of hearing about me?" Rukia asked, a little afraid to look at the glaring Hinamori.

"No, the drama you have is better than most soap operas, so I don't mind." Hinamori replied.

"Great, so my life is better than a soap opera, can't get any more dramatic than that." Rukia muttered. She finally leaned closer, whispering to Hinamori about how nice Ichigo was to her, how she finally found him attractive, and how Inoue Orihime was going to be on her enemy list soon.

"And then I talked to him so calmly tonight. He's acting completely different, a good different, and I like it." Rukia finally finished. Hinamori was smiling.

"Wow, I knew it." Hinamori replied, leaving Rukia to let her mouth drop.

"What do you mean by that?" Rukia asked, leaning away from Hinamori.

"You always got so frustrated with him, and after you told me everything that happened with the elevator, and how he came to your apartment, which was strange for him, and you were happy, I had this feeling that a part of you liked him."

"Yes well, I'm still irritated with him and everything. I mean, I acted so ordinary around him, like I just met him in a way." Rukia replied, fingering the napkin again.

"Just let things go naturally, the way they should. Don't think about it so much." Hinamori paused, hearing the music playing, and looked up to see people dancing. "We should probably get back now. It looks like Renji's getting lonely." Hinamori frowned.

"Poor Renji." She said a little softly with humor in her throat.

"Oh don't even get me started on how guilty I feel about that one Hinamori-san!" Rukia called back as they made their way to their table. People were dancing on the dance floor, and when Ichigo and Inoue weren't sitting at the table, she looked to where all the couples were holding each other closely, swaying slowly to the soft music. "Where are they?" Rukia thought, getting ready for the trauma of seeing Kurosaki Ichigo, dancing.

To her relief, Ichigo and Inoue appeared seconds later. "Wow, who would have thought getting a cup of punch would take so long!" Inoue beamed, while Ichigo simply took his seat, grinning a little bit to his date.

Renji eventually asked Rukia to dance, and though she wanted to sit and "observe" Ichigo more, she thought it would be a good way to possibly get his attention, and maybe, make him jealous, sort of like how she was at the moment.

She smiled when she spotted Ichigo glancing at her, looking more irritated than before. In return, Rukia moved a little closer to Renji, resting her head on his chest. Rukia did feel bad about Renji, but she couldn't help how she felt, and she knew that if her sudden feelings for Ichigo got out of hand, Renji would be the first to understand, hopefully.

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**A/N: **I know some people kind of feel bad for Renji, and I do too, but he's a nice guy in this story, so don't worry! SO, was anyone surprised to see Aizen with Hinamori? And I hoped you enjoyed the somewhat normal conversation Rukia and Ichigo had. I mean, he actually said a lot to her, and it wasn't mean, so that's a big improvement right? Next chapter is going to be the long week, and things will only get more interesting. Lots of IchiRuki to come!! And I know this was more of Rukia getting jealous, but you'll get more suspicions of Ichigo being jealous and stuff later on.

Thank you so so so much for all the wonderful reviews I have received. I know I keep saying it, but your words of encouragement are what really motivate me here, so keep it up!!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! **H**_A_**P**_P_**Y** _E_**A**_R_**L**_Y_**T**_H_**A**_N_**K**_S_**G**_I_**V**_I_**N**_G_


	14. Ch13: Many Awkward Silences

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Ok guys, Ch.13, and I must say, all the aggravation I know you all felt with Ichigo being so mean to Rukia is finally vanishing (but don't be surprised to see some ridiculous future arguing, this is Ichigo and Rukia we're talking about here.) So, get ready for lots of talking and goodness (hopefully!)

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.13 Many Awkward Silences**

For the first time in the past four months, Rukia walked into Seireitei Inc. with a big fat grin stretched onto her lips. She didn't feel she had any particular reason, not counting her orange haired boss, who drove her crazy, in a much better way than before.

She liked the guy, much more than she should have.

Rukia hadn't even talked to him very much the night of the dinner party, but there was something about the way he spoke to her, giving her much more information then he really needed to, that gave Rukia a strange hope.

She didn't do anything on Sunday, and for once enjoyed being lazy. Rukia did get to talk to Hisana, where she explained how she was back at Seireitei Inc. with a completely new attitude, and overall goal.

Rukia even smiled at a few choice people, enjoying seeing the surprise on their faces from her sudden beam. The gossiping was still a little rough, but Rukia was over it. Why should she care about what they thought? The answer was she shouldn't. People like them, who leeched off of what other people told them, never listening to their own self, weren't too much of a threat to anything.

Renji was the first to greet her, and she quickly remembered his bold movement the night of the dinner party when he took her home.

_-Flashback-_

_Renji walked Rukia to her doorway. Before Rukia could even pull her keys out, Renji spoke._

"_Thanks for coming with me Rukia, it was lots of fun." Renji told her, smiling. He looked happier than usual, and Rukia suddenly wondered what was up his sleeve._

"_Yah, it was, thanks for inviting me. I hope I wasn't too bad of a dancer." Rukia mumbled humorously. Renji grinned, shaking his head. _

"_You were just fine, better than me at least. Anyways, I guess I should head home now. We should try this again sometime." Renji replied._

_Rukia didn't know how to reply. She didn't want to go out with him again, because she didn't have feelings for Renji in that sort of way, and she probably never would. Taking a deep breathe, she looked right at Renji, preparing to tell him her words of brutal honesty. _

_She couldn't say anything as Renji's lips touched hers. Rukia broke away from the kiss as soon as it started, keeping her eyes averted down. She didn't want to look at Renji and see the pain he would try to hide. Rukia knew Renji liked her a lot, but there wasn't much she could do except end it._

"_Renji, I'm sorry, but I just, I don't feel the same way." She said in the softest tone possible. Rukia heard Renji sigh, and so she looked at him. He was smiling bitterly, trying to hide what he might have already known. _

"_It's ok, I had the idea you might not, but I thought I would try. I'm glad to know how yah feel, so don't worry about it." Renji began backing away._

"_I guess I'll see you Monday then. Have a good weekend." _

"_You too Renji." She replied, and watched him walk away._

_-End Flashback-_

Renji kissed her on the lips. It had been a light move, but still effective, on Renji's part at least. She told him she didn't harness the same feelings, and like Rukia thought; Renji was extremely kind about it. Rukia did feel guilt, but she was glad to get it out of her system to him, and stop leading him on. Renji was a good friend to her, quite possibly one of the best, and she didn't want to lose him.

"How was your Sunday?" Renji asked; a stack of papers in one hand, with a small and labeled Seireitei Inc. pen in the other.

"It was relaxing." Rukia replied, avoiding looking at him. It was a little awkward talking to him, but she knew she needed to put it past her. What Renji did was a very brave thing, especially to Rukia of all people. She didn't want to further humiliate the guy anyways.

"That's good." Renji stated. A very awkward silence formed, and Rukia was tempted to stalk off, just to get away from him. He was becoming his usual self again. The weird question, totally off-subject Renji that Rukia had met at the beginning of Seireitei Inc.

"I guess I'll talk to you later than." Renji mumbled, stopping at a doorway. Rukia smiled and waved; glad her office was a little ways off from where Renji was standing.

When Rukia opened the door to her office, she found Hinamori sitting at her desk, reading some sort of magazine. "Rukia-san, do you know how out of date this sports magazine is?" Hinamori asked, chucking the magazine onto the desk.

"Good to see you to Hinamori-san." Rukia mumbled sarcastically. She set her purse down, and walked over to the side of her desk.

"What brings you in here?" Rukia asked, wondering why Hinamori would be in her office before her, considering Rukia came an hour before most people.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you about how well my date with Aizen-san went." Hinamori stated, blushing slightly.

"Ok, tell me!" Rukia pulled up a chair next to her desk, anxiously waiting for Hinamori to continue.

Hinamori smiled, taking a deep breath. "He wants me to go on another date with him. Can you believe it?" Hinamori squealed. She looked happier then ever, putting Rukia in a better mood then before.

"That's great Hinamori-san! When is the next date?" Rukia asked, hitting the button on her computer to turn it on.

"This Saturday, we're going to some fancy restaurant, just me and him!" Hinamori chirped, glancing at Rukia's computer screen as it woke out of its deep sleep.

"I still can't believe its Aizen-san of all people, but let me know anything knew that happens ok?" Rukia asked. Hinamori nodded, standing from her desk.

"Alright, well anything happen after the dinner party?" Hinamori asked, taking her purse to leave. Rukia had debated on telling Hinamori about Renji, but she just didn't feel like explaining it, especially when she had other things or rather, other people, on her mind.

"Nope, I didn't do anything at all on Sunday. It was really nice." Rukia replied.

"I'm jealous. I had to clean all day on Sunday. Well anyways, I better get to my office, but I'll see you at lunch ok?" Hinamori stated, opening the door to her office.

"Ok bye!" Rukia replied, waving back to Hinamori as she finally shut the door behind her.

Once again, like the previous Friday, there wasn't any work in her office, and she didn't know if she should go to see him or wait for him to come. Rukia remembered that the week would be extremely busy, and quite possibly the whole month.

She didn't have to move an inch when Ichigo walked into her office, a stack of envelopes in his hands.

"Rukia-san, here's some stuff to start you off. Like I said, it's going to be really crazy this week, so let's try to get done as much as we can so we don't have to stay too late afterwards." Ichigo said in a positive tone. She was glad he wasn't being too demanding.

"Ok, do you want me to come to your office to get some other work when I finish?" Rukia asked, smiling at her strange boss. Ichigo scratched his head, looking to the side.

"Yah, go ahead and do that. The files should take you an hour or two to do. If I'm not in my office when you come, just take one of the piles of paperwork on my desk. I have to go now, but come by if you need any help." Ichigo stated, smirking, and closing the door behind him.

And that was how the rest of the day went. Rukia did some paper work, and would go to Ichigo's office when she finished. Sometimes he was there, and sometimes he wasn't. It was busy work, but Rukia didn't mind, especially when her boss was being kind to her, offering help if she needed it, even if it was out of courtesy.

The next couple of days were the same, and Rukia ended up not having to stay too late after work. Ichigo warned her that Friday would be the worst, and that they might not leave until nine or so.

"Come on, we have to go to the other branch." Ichigo told her Wednesday morning, placing his keys in his hand. Rukia followed behind, remembering that it was only a week ago that their big argument took place, and Rukia had almost left Seireitei Inc. for good.

Like the last time, the ride to the other building was very enjoyable. Ichigo had some different music in his trail blazer, and Rukia decided to take another shot at talking to the guy.

"What band is this?" Rukia asked, glancing from Ichigo's stereo, to him. Ichigo kept his eyes on the road.

"Some American band. I don't know their name, but I found their stuff online and downloaded it." Ichigo replied. Rukia glanced at him again, smiling.

"I'm not a huge fan of rock music, but they sound pretty good." 

"I figured you did since you went to a rock concert." 

"You mean the Howling Zabimarus? They did sound good I'll admit, but generally I don't listen to this kind of stuff."

"I just started getting into this kind of rock music, and I like it. It's not too drastic, but not too light either." A small silence fell as Ichigo turned the street, but Rukia picked up the conversation following. 

"Why do you have to see Ichimaru-san every week anyways?" Rukia asked, hoping her sudden change of topic wouldn't aggravate the orange haired man.

Ichigo sighed. "I really don't see why we have to do it every week, but Yamamoto-san insists on it. There's always some file that's confidential, and Yamamoto-san doesn't like for them to be faxed. It's really annoying this week when we have so much to get done."

Rukia nodded. "Well it's busy for them too right? So maybe we won't talk to them too long."

"I sure hope not." Ichigo replied, scowling deeper towards the end. The rest of the way was silent, and instead of staring out the window, like Rukia had done last time, she kept her head forward, glancing at Ichigo from the side once in a while.

The man really was good looking.

There was something about the way he dressed that made him look even better. He dressed nice, but it wasn't over done, and on that particular day, the shirt Ichigo wore brought out his hazel eyes.

She felt like a silly school girl, trying to look unsuspicious of having an attraction for him, and wanting to giggle at the same time. Good thing Ichigo was driving, and hopefully didn't have a single idea that Rukia was acting goo goo eyes over him.

They didn't even see Ichimaru-san when they reached the building, and Rukia was tremendously thankful. Matsumoto took whatever files Ichigo needed to give to them. Ichigo barely thanked the woman as he turned to leave, but Rukia didn't fail to notice Matsumoto's roaming eyes, landing on what looked to be Ichigo's butt. Rukia's eyes followed, and she gulped, at the same time wanting to slap herself for feeling like such a pervert. They walked out of the happy building seconds later, Ichigo fumbling with the keys in his hands.

"Wow that was fast." Rukia mumbled as the two walked to the parking garage. Ichigo unlocked his vehicle and took off.

"It wastes so much time going over there. I don't see why they can't come and get what they need themselves." Ichigo complained, driving back to their branch.

"We're starting to get a little behind, which is fine, as long as we get it done by Friday. So do you want to stay after tonight or would you rather just cram most of it on Friday?" Ichigo asked when they reached Rukia's office.

"Let's see what we can get done today and then figure it out." Rukia offered, touching the door handle to her office.

As suspected, there was a great amount of work to finish, and seeing as how staying after Wednesday and Thursday felt rather pointless, Ichigo decided they would both work on the files Friday night, together.

The week had really flown by to Rukia's surprise and liking, and as Friday approached, Rukia only felt more anticipation. Finally, at five thirty on Friday, Hinamori walked into Rukia's office grinning.

"Tomorrow night is the date!" Hinamori beamed, taking a seat next to Rukia's desk.

"Well I hope its fun. I have to stay afterwards to get all these files done. Kurosaki-san is helping." Rukia stated. Hinamori quickly raised an eyebrow.

"Please let me know how things go." Hinamori replied, giving Rukia the strangest grin. Rukia grinned back, rolling her eyes.

"We're going to be working a lot tonight, so I won't really get the chance to talk."

Hinamori shook her head chuckling. "Alright, whatever you say, but I have to go now. Oh, and is Renji ok? He seemed a little down today."

Rukia winced mentally, feeling guilty again. "No Hinamori-san, I don't know."

Hinamori shrugged her shoulders and left the office. Rukia set back in her chair, finishing up her last file before joining Ichigo in his office. Sure enough, Ichigo was sitting at his desk with loads of files and paperwork all around him.

"Ready to begin?" He asked sarcastically. Rukia smiled, and made her way to the chair next to him.

"Let's get started." Rukia replied, and the work began. He commanded her on what to do, and she obeyed. Rukia didn't think she would get too much of a chance to really talk to him until an hour passed, and Ichigo sounded for a break.

"About how much do we have left?" Rukia asked, looking at a stack next to her.

"I'd say another hour or so." Ichigo replied, setting a file in his hand gently onto his very messy and cluttered desk. Rukia looked at the different papers on his desk, some being files she recognized, while others were completely new to her. Due to her curiosity, Rukia let her eyes roam over the desk a little more, when she saw her earring sitting next to one of his mugs. Ichigo must have seen her staring at it, because his eyes followed her, and he abruptly looked down.

Rukia had experienced many awkward silences in her life (some of those being with Ichigo), but the next was by far the worst. Not wanting the silence to last very long, Rukia sighed dramatically, fidgeting with a pen in her hand.

"Hopefully we'll get finished soon." Rukia stated, picking up a file and pretending to look at it.

"Of all the things to give me, why an earring?"

Rukia dropped the file in her hand, and papers scattered to the ground, quickly mingling in with other sheets. She sat down onto the ground and started picking up the mess of sheets and Ichigo joined her. Rukia was trying to get her mind off of Ichigo's out of the question question when she felt her hand hit something.

She looked down at what her hand had touched, to see it gently on Ichigo's. Rukia made the mistake of looking at him, only to see him staring back at her. She pulled her hand away a millisecond later, and sat back on her seat, grabbing yet another file. Ichigo stacked up the file that fell on the floor and placed the sheets in the correct order.

"Did you have a good time last Saturday night?" She asked, avoiding looking at him. She could see his hands fidgeting strangely, and she only assumed it was uncomfortable for him as well.

"Ah, sure. It was ok I guess. Inoue-san was nice." 

"Nice?"

"I don't know, she smiles a little too much, but she was descent. There aren't any other dinner parties coming up are there?"

"Well you should know better then me seeing as you're the assistant to the boss. Why do you want to know?"

Ichigo chuckled, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Well, I kind of asked Inoue-san Thursday night, just two nights before the dinner party. The only reason I asked her was because I suddenly remembered, and she was the only person present."

Why was he giving her excuses about Inoue?

"Well the only reason I went was because of Renji."

"You two dating or somethin?"

"No, he's just a good friend, almost in a brotherly way." Rukia replied. Ichigo was being rather talkative, not that she really mind.

"I figured you two were since you went to that concert with him."

"Nope, he just had an extra ticket, so I agreed to go with him."

"Ah, well, we should probably get back to work." Ichigo groaned, grabbing a set of paperwork from a large pile.

"Right." Rukia replied, snapping out of whatever spell Kurosaki Ichigo cast upon her.

The two didn't talk too much as they once again got deep into their paperwork, and almost like a breeze, another hour passed. She was thankful for the busy work, because it helped ease her mind that Ichigo had asked her something so unexpected earlier, leaving her in almost utter shock.

"You just about done?" Ichigo asked, glancing at his watch.

"Yep, done." Rukia told him, putting the last file in the filing cabinet.

"That really went by pretty quick." Rukia stated, standing from her seat to stretch.

"Yah, I guess it did. It's only eight o'clock, not too bad. I think I stayed until about ten or eleven last year on the first Friday. I guess you really know how to get things done." Ichigo said, smirking at Rukia with a raised eyebrow.

Rukia turned away before the blush came. It was quite possibly his first compliment directed straight towards her.

"Well anyways, if we're done then I guess its ok for us to leave right?" Rukia asked.

"We just have to sign out." Ichigo touched his stomach following, frowning slightly.

"I haven't eaten anything since noon today. I guess I should go get somethin to eat." Ichigo paused and looked at Rukia. Rukia nodded her head.

"Yah, you probably should. I'm pretty hungry myself. I should probably get home quickly."

Ichigo walked with Rukia to get her purse, and the two signed out, ready to go. They strolled out of the building together, and right before Rukia called for a taxi, she heard Ichigo's voice from behind.

"Hey wait, do you wanna come?"

Rukia froze in her spot, and the taxi she was about to shout out for passed. The question hadn't really come from Kurosaki Ichigo, had it? She turned around slowly smiling, and sure enough, he was standing there, waiting for her to answer. What the heck could she say?

"Um, sure." She replied before her brain would allow her to think. Rukia didn't know what brought about the sudden invitation from Ichigo, but Rukia wanted to go, much more then she wanted to admit.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** I was going to make the worst cliff hanger ever with this ending, but I decided not to since the past several chapters have been like that. Well, I hope you enjoyed it. I know I kind of rushed through the week, but that's because I was planning most of the talking to happen on Friday, and Ichigo talked a lot!! And can you believe he blurted out the question about the earring? He and Rukia are just so much alike…

Alright, I say it every time, but you should really REVIEW! I really feel the love from you guys with this story, and I'm glad you like it so much. I'll probably update next Tuesday…!!

PS I updated another story of mine called Unknown Premises, so check it out if you want! It's a Karin/Hitsugaya fic!!

LOVE YOU.


	15. Ch14:  A Talkative Nondate

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

**Summary:** At a masquerade ball held for the company she works for, Rukia meets her prince charming, who she soon discovers is her boss from hell. When she begins to learn more about him, she quickly falls for the orange haired jerk. (IchiRuki).

Ok, you know you're authoress loves you when she says she is going to update on Tuesday, but can't wait, and updates the DAY AFTER!! I know I said I was going to slow the updates down because we were getting deeper into the story, but I just love this way too much, and I think you'll enjoy this chapter, a lot. I will probably eventually slow down when we reach the end, but who knows really. XD

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.14 A Talkative Non-Date**

Rukia knew she was going mad. Okay, not her, but the driver of the trail blazer, heading to some sort of food destination.

Kurosaki Ichigo.

He was quite possibly the most puzzling man Rukia had ever met. First off, he was extremely mean, and now he was inviting her out to eat, which she agreed to rather quickly.

But it was in no way shape or form a date.

The instant she said yes to eating with him, her mind instinctively debated. Was it, or was it not, a date? He hadn't offered to pay, and he asked in a very casual way, but didn't people ask others out on dates all the time in casual ways?

Rukia gritted her teeth as she stared out the window. Maybe she just wanted to think of it as a date, but a part of her, a very small part, didn't.

Just because she knew he was an attractive man that she had in fact kissed didn't mean she knew what to do with the new found feelings. She was currently a nervous wreck, not knowing what the heck to say to him.

One of the reasons she had wanted to go home after finishing the paperwork was because of their very awkward conversation, and other things (like her hand bumping his), but then he asked her to go eat with him, and without even questioning if she really should or not, said yes. Why was she acting like such a high school student? Rukia was a grown woman, and had been in relationships, so why did he make her so nervous?

"Where do you want to go?" Ichigo asked when they stopped at a light. Rukia looked around her, finding nothing but buildings and not any signs of restaurants, though going to an actual restaurant would have been a bit much…

"I don't really care where." Rukia replied when she couldn't think of a single place. She had good reason to not be able to think, that reason being the person sitting right next to her.

"Alright, well I know this diner closer to my house, you want to go there?" Ichigo asked. Rukia looked at him and smiled. A diner was good place to go, creating the 'just going to eat with another co-worker' type of atmosphere.

"Sure." She replied. The light turned green following, and Ichigo drove to their destination. It didn't take very long to get to the diner, and it was enjoyable as Ichigo had yet another new band playing on his stereo, which Rukia again liked.

The diner was very small, but looked promising. Rukia felt even more comfortable when they stepped inside, and witnessed four to five small tables sitting against the glass windows. There were several people sitting at the counter, but other than that, the place was pretty empty.

"I always sit at this table." Ichigo mumbled, guiding Rukia to the furthest table on the right. Rukia sat on the further end, facing the other workers and customers, while Ichigo got the view of her, and the wall behind her.

An older looking woman brought two menus out, smiling at Ichigo. Ichigo smiled lightly back, and glanced down at his menu.

"Do you come here a lot?" Rukia finally asked. Ichigo looked up from his menu.

"I usually get coffee in the morning, and on late nights like this I come here to eat." Ichigo stated, looking back at his menu.

"What's good on here?" Rukia asked, though everything sounded good. She supposed she was hungrier then she thought. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"I think just about everything." He replied. Rukia sighed and looked at her menu more deeply. There was breakfast, which was what she originally wanted, but then she reached the hamburger section, where delicious looking pictures were added next to the orders.

"I think I'll get the beacon cheese burger." Rukia stated, checking over her menu one last time to make sure that was what she wanted. Ichigo nodded his head, and folded his menu.

The waitress came back a minute or two later, notepad in hand. Rukia gave her order, requesting strawberry lemonade as a drink.

"Sorry, we don't have that drink."

Rukia's eyes widened. She had only been to a few places where they didn't serve strawberry lemonade. Rukia frowned, and mumbled her order of water instead.

Ichigo ordered soda, and some sort of sandwich, and the waitress disappeared.

"I've never been to a place that hasn't had strawberry lemonade." Rukia mumbled. Ichigo raised an eyebrow.

"Sorry, it is a diner, and very old fashion. They aren't good at adding new things to their menu."

"Yes, but strawberry lemonade is a pretty common drink."

"Well lemonade is, but I actually haven't heard of a lot of places carrying strawberry lemonade."

"You would be surprised at how many places really do. I've only encountered a few that haven't."

"You can add a new place to your list then."

Rukia sighed, glancing out the huge window of flowing traffic. There wasn't too much considering it was nearly 8:45 at night.

"So you've worked at Seireitei Inc. for two years?" Rukia suddenly asked.

"Um yes, how did you know?"

Rukia mentally cursed herself. She remembered her conversation with Ichigo at the ball clearly, and he apparently he didn't. Why did she even ask that when she already knew anyways?

"You don't remember?" She asked, looking at him. Ichigo had a blank expression on his face.

"The ball…" Rukia mumbled. Ichigo's eyes widened at her words, but he relaxed following.

"How do you remember?" He asked, staring at Rukia curiously. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I just have a good memory, and I hadn't been drinking. Well, actually I think I had one small glass of champagne, but that barely cuts it."

"I hadn't drank either." Ichigo replied. Their conversation stopped abruptly when the waitress came back with some food.

Rukia took a bite into her hamburger. Surely he had been drinking to be so forward and outgoing to her. Didn't he remember what happened? Perhaps he didn't want to remember, and Rukia couldn't blame him.

"Wow, this is really good." Rukia chirped, suddenly staring at her huge cheeseburger. Ichigo smirked and took a bite of his even larger sandwich.

"I've been to a lot of places in my life, and this small little diner has better food then almost all of them." Ichigo stated, taking a sip of his drink.

"This is really top quality food. There was a place by my house when I was little that was like this. It was really small and wasn't popular at all, but the food was amazing." Rukia stated, instantly remembering growing up.

"Places have always come and go, but this diner has been the only one to stick. I think our waitress has even worked here for since I can remember."

"So you grew up here?" Rukia asked. She was glad the sudden masquerade ball subject was now underway. Rukia did want answers from him, but not yet. She wasn't comfortable enough to talk to him about it, if she ever got to being that comfortable with him.

"Yep, and Karakura has never really changed. I mean it's gotten a lot bigger, but most of the people are the same."

"What do you mean by that?" Rukia asked, already getting full from her huge burger.

"Everyone has always had this friendly atmosphere around them, well at least the adults, and it's still the same now, overall."

If Rukia had thought Ichigo had opened up to her before, then what he was telling her now was unbelievable.

"I grew up in a pretty small town myself. It was just me, my parents and my siblings. There was an old guy living next to us, but he never came out of his house. We lived right by a lake." Rukia stated, messing with her straw.

"Huh." Ichigo replied, looking curious.

"What is it?" Rukia asked.

"I just didn't see you as the type to live in a small town, smaller than mine at least."

"Well Kurosaki-san, you don't know me very well, so you shouldn't be so surprised."

"I have another question." Ichigo stated, placing his elbows on the table. Rukia smiled at him. "What now?" She asked in a mockingly manner.

"Is Kuchiki Byakuya related to you?"

"Yes, he's my brother."

"Then why are you working for Seireitei Inc?" He asked in a rather rude tone. Rukia let a frown form on her face.

"Why does it matter?" She shot back. Ichigo suddenly looked guilty and took another bite of his almost completely gone sandwich.

"I didn't mean it in a rude way; it's just that if I were in your shoes I would have picked Zangetsu Corp."

"Well you aren't in my shoes are you? And besides, you've only worked at Seireitei Inc. for two years and your already the assistant to the our building's boss."

Ichigo chuckled, rubbing a hand through his hair. "Yah well it wasn't easy, but I got here somehow. You're moving up pretty quickly yourself."

"With the help of you of course." Rukia muttered back in an almost playful manner. Ichigo sat back in his chair, pushing away his now empty plate.

"Since we're on the subject, why did you request me exactly?" Rukia asked. She had been dying to know for a long time, and she figured since Ichigo was opening up to her much more then she expected, that he would give her an answer.

"How did you find out?"

"Aizen-san told me."

Ichigo sighed deeply, looking frustrated. "You shouldn't be so surprised. You did come to my apartment to ask me to come back." Rukia stated before Ichigo could say anything.

"I'm not surprised. I knew you found out, I just didn't know Aizen-san was the one to tell you. You aren't by any chance lying?" Ichigo eyes her suspiciously.

"No, and you still haven't answered my first question."

Ichigo sighed again. "Which one, you've asked a lot."

"The one about why you wanted me as your secretary."

Ichigo shook his head. "I already told you. There aren't many people that can get done things as quickly as you do, so when the situation came that we needed someone as my secretary, I told Aizen-san you would be good."

"So were you giving me some sort of test then with all the work?" Rukia shot back, hoping for a good answer.

"I guess in a way." He replied, grinning at her. Rukia was instantly mesmerized. What was he doing right now? Was he actually smiling? And what was he saying?

"You _guess_?" Rukia asked, leaning her body forward. The seat underneath her made a squeaking noise in return.

"Why do you need to know?" Ichigo shot back, leaning forward as well, only his chair didn't squeak.

"Because you threw so much work at me from day one, and then I suddenly admit something that I never wanted you to know, and you abruptly stop giving me so much work. I'm just curious as to why."

"I really don't know why to be honest."

Rukia sunk back again, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't know why she was getting the courage to ask questions that had been bothering her for the past few weeks, but she hoped she was doing the smart thing.

Her eyes fell back onto him, and his scowl was deep. "Great, I'm making him mad now." Rukia thought to herself. She just didn't know when to keep her mouth shut, and it betrayed her in a sense.

The waitress once again popped up. Rukia had the impression the woman was listening in on their conversation because she always seemed to perk up at the right time…

"Can I get you any deserts?" The woman asked, much friendlier than before.

Ichigo looked back at the menu. "I'll get a chocolate milkshake." Ichigo looked at Rukia, nonverbally asking her if she wanted anything.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the desert menu, immediately spotting what she wanted.

"I'll have the strawberry milkshake please." She mumbled to the lady.

Rukia knew she was hounding him, but she wanted to get some of the tension out of the way. Hopefully it was working. Ichigo paused for a very long time, looking down at the table the whole time. She didn't want to make him anymore uncomfortable than he was obviously already feeling, so she changed the subject.

"Is that really your natural hair color?"

"Are you _serious_?" Ichigo retorted back, looking almost angry. Rukia laughed lightly; glad to get him out of his guilty looking zone.

"Just checking. Some people try to bleach their hair blonde, and it turns out orange, so I thought maybe you attempted."

"No I didn't. I have no idea why my hair is orange, but it is." Ichigo shot back, frowning a little.

"Well that's really strange, but I guess it works for you." Rukia replied, smiling faintly. The milkshakes came back a minute later, and Rukia realized they were the only two customers left at the place.

"When does this place close?" Rukia asked, glancing out for any signs. Ichigo shook his head.

"It's open all night." He replied, drinking some of his shake. Remembering the strawberry shake in front of her, Rukia tried some too. It was quite possibly one of the most marvelous things she'd ever tasted, coming pretty close to her strawberry lemonade.

"So I take it that you like strawberry?" Ichigo asked, watching Rukia take another sip.

"Is that a problem?" She replied. Ichigo shook his head. "Not a problem at all, but you asked for strawberry lemonade instead of just regular lemonade, and then you ordered a strawberry milkshake."

"Is it really that weird for me to like strawberry lemonade?"

"Not really, I just haven't known too many people, actually, nobody at all, that's liked it as much as you."

"Well everyone has things they like that aren't ordinary, so I don't see the problem. I'm sure there's something unordinary that you like." Rukia shot back. It seemed like every five minutes they had little battles, but no one ever seemed to win. Then again, they never got the chance to since the waitress always butt in the way.

"I can't think of anything in particular. I would say my music, but you seem to like that too."

"So what, just because two people happen to like it that know one another doesn't mean it's not out of the ordinary."

"Well yah, but actually my sister Karin likes it, and she's the normal one in our family."

"You just admitted you aren't normal."

"Never said I was."

Rukia and Ichigo glared at each other, Ichigo appearing to enjoy the conversation.

"Do you have any other siblings?" Ichigo asked in a much kinder voice.

"Yes, I have a sister." Rukia replied, looking out the window again. She had no idea what time it was, but it felt like a long time had passed.

"Is she younger or older?" Ichigo asked, setting down his now empty glass. Rukia wasn't even half way with hers, though she didn't know if she could get half way seeing as how full she was.

"She's older, but only by eight minutes."

Ichigo's mouth almost dropped.

"Wait, so you have twin sister? Fraternal or identical?"

"Identical." Rukia replied, not being able to help the curve that formed on her lips. It pleased her to see Ichigo look stumped.

"My sisters are twins too, fraternal."

Rukia was surprised, but not as surprised as Ichigo appeared to be when learning about her sister.

"I remember seeing them at the concert, and they look nothing alike."

"Yah, Karin looks more like my dad while Yuzu looks more like my mother."

Rukia smiled. How strange that both of their families have a set of twins…

The waitress brought them their check, and Rukia realized she forgot to mention making their receipts separate.

"Um, excuse me!" Rukia called. Ichigo watched her curiously. The waitress turned around and came back.

"Yes? Is there a problem?" The waitress asked in a rather annoyed voice.

"We forgot to mention it earlier, but we need to split the check." Rukia stated, holding up the receipt. Before the woman accepted it, Ichigo intervened.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked as he set the small white sheet down in front of him.

"Don't worry about it." Ichigo smiled at her again, and Rukia wanted to melt.

"No really, I can pay for my part of the meal." Rukia replied. She could have offered to pay for all of it, but like she stated at the beginning, she didn't want to think of their little outing as a date, even if she, the girl, offered to pay.

"Here." Ichigo said, handing the woman some money and the receipt. The woman nodded.

"You didn't need to do that." Rukia mumbled, getting the urge to call back for the waitress again.

"You're right, I didn't, but since I did, don't worry about it."

How could she not worry about it?

"Well I guess we should go then."

"Ah." Ichigo replied, suddenly growing quiet. They walked out of the diner side by side, and when Rukia realized how close they were, she pulled away. Ichigo quickly unlocked the doors, and the two climbed inside.

Rukia would have given him directions to her apartment, but she remembered that he knew good and well how to get to her home.

"It was not a date." Rukia mentally screamed. The rest of the ride of home was very quiet, and Rukia's mind was preoccupied with Ichigo. It seemed that he was always on her mind, a little too much actually.

Ichigo turned his music up, and Rukia finally settled with enjoying the music, whether it was really ordinary or not.

They reached her apartment ten minutes later, and Rukia was very thankful Ichigo didn't get out of his car to walk Rukia to her door, or stairs.

"Thank you for inviting me." Rukia said smiling.

"No problem. It was nice being out of the office." Ichigo said, grinning again.

"Right, and next time we go on a date, I'll pay."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, but smirked towards the end.

"We'll see about that." He replied. Rukia thanked him again and got out of the car. She waved at him as she pulled away, and turned to her apartment.

"Why not pay next time—wait…"

Rukia whirled around, eyes wide, staring at the trail blazer pulling away.

"IT WASN'T A DATE!" She screamed, nearly tripping over her own two feet in the process.

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**A/N:** HAHA Oh wow, this was a hard chapter to write, but I like how it turned out. Rukia really has a problem with thinking before speaking, but it makes it good for the story right? At least Ichigo didn't look at her like she was crazy (though raising an eyebrow is kind of questionable….bahaha). Anyways, I know there was a lot of talking, but I think it fits them. I even threw in some arguing (and I know it was a little different then how they argue in the series, but they are a little older, and I'm saving the immature arguing for when they get closer.)

REVIEW and I don't know, I'll make you all something nice!! What do yah say??? The only thing I can cook really well is spaghetti, so hit me up (in review form) if you would like some!!


	16. Ch15: The Consequences Thus

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I took out the summary because I figure you guys know the plot by now :).

So I definitely got 50 reviews for the last chapter, which is pretty effing awesome. I replied to everyone's too (except the anonymous ones, sorry!! I was kind of in a rush to reply and didn't have time to do those!! My bad but I still love you!!) Thank you so much for the reviews, and in return, here's a chapter!!

Anyways,

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.15 The Consequence Thus**

For every choice a person makes, there are consequences, rather them be good or bad. Rukia for the first time in what felt like a millennium was having both.

First of all, her little outing with her boss went much better than planned, considering she was nervous anyways. He really opened up to her, and Rukia, not being any sort of expert at understanding the male species, took it as a good sign. Second, because of the difference in Ichigo, she was feeling more relaxed with her job.

It was strange how one person's mood could project the welfare of another person's atmosphere. Rukia felt she fit into that category. When she went back and thought about it, the only reason she hated her job was because of one man, one tiny insignificant person to the world. To her, Kurosaki Ichigo was the world, and it wasn't because she was madly in love with him, but because he in a way was the job. Even when she wasn't his secretary, Rukia took orders from him, only because she had to.

And now, Ichigo was not only giving her a break on all the hard work, but talking to her, and even going out with her (which she still refused as a date even though she bluntly admitted it.) Rukia currently loved life, even if it would only last a small second.

Knowing her it probably would.

Walking in on Monday to Seireitei Inc. was what brought the bad consequences. People were talking about Rukia in front of her face, whispering loudly. Rukia should have figured that someone would have seen the two walking to the parking garage together leaving that night, but Rukia didn't dwell on those thoughts at the time. The sad thing was that some of the rumors were probably partially true.

"Kuchiki-san is having an affair with him, I know it." One woman murmured.

"Maybe they're just dating secretly." Another hissed.

People spoke rather loudly, as if wanting Rukia to hear the pathetic words. They did bother her, but she wouldn't bring her self down to their level. She was better then that.

Just like almost always, Hinamori was the first to approach her. Rukia liked seeing her first thing in the morning because she always had a smile on her face.

Hinamori linked an arm with Rukia's and pulled her down the hallway. "Um, Hinamori-san, you just passed my office."

"I know, I want to talk to you about something." Hinamori whispered back. Feeling confusion as to why Hinamori was whispering, and why Rukia's office wasn't a good enough place to talk, Rukia walked along with the woman, avoiding stares from others.

"Why is it almost every day I come into work with people are staring at me?" Rukia muttered quietly. Hinamori grinned mischievously and the two turned the corner. Before Rukia could blink Hinamori opened the door to a utility closet, yanking Rukia in.

"Is there some sort of problem?" Rukia asked.

"Did you go out with Kurosaki-san Friday night?" Hinamori asked, looking serious. Rukia began panicking mentally. Was she not supposed to? The look on Hinamori's face was a frightened one.

"What if I said yes." Rukia replied. Hinamori clasped a hand over her mouth, her eyes widening.

"What's the big deal?"

"Rukia-san! You went on a _date_ with _him_?"

Rukia sighed, closing her eyes. "It wasn't a date. We finished the work at about eight, and on the way out he asked if I wanted to grab a bite to eat with him."

"That's a date Rukia-san." 

"No it's not!"

"Where did you go?"

"Some crummy little diner by his house!"

"A diner can easily be mistaken as a date. Wait I know, did he pay for you?"

Rukia gritted her teeth hard, glancing around at the utility closet. She knew her answer wouldn't let Hinamori down, and she just couldn't lie to the girl that had dragged her into a closet.

"Yes, but only because the waitress forgot to split the bill!" Rukia mentally smacked her forehead. That would not be a good enough excuse.

"I can't believe it!! I mean, I know you said you were kind of getting a thing for him, but I wasn't expecting anything like a date so soon! I wasn't expecting anything at all. You said he was the one to ask you to go?" Hinamori asked.

"Yah, I was about to call for a taxi when he asked me."

"Kurosaki-san would never just invite you to go eat with him out of kindness, so this must be huge!"

"Why? We were simply two co-workers going out to eat after finishing up with work."

"That one of the co-workers paid for." Hinamori replied sharply, putting a finger up to make her answer more defined.

"So? If you and I went to eat and something like the bill wasn't split, I would pay for yours and my food." 

"But this is Kurosaki-san we're talking about! Open your eyes and see! It was a date, fancy or not." Hinamori crossed her arms, building up a thick brick wall, finalizing her answer.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, and I'm not going to bother asking why we're in here." Rukia muttered, nearly tripping on a mop next to her feet.

"I didn't want to say anything with a bunch of people around. No one saw us come in here so we should be fine." Hinamori beamed, giggling lightly. Hopefully no one would see them come out either. It was bad enough when Rukia came off the elevator with Ichigo, but walking out of a utility closet with Hinamori, a woman? She shuddered at the mere thought.

Hinamori checked to make sure the coast was clear, and the two emerged from the small closet. "Anyways, it was a date, and if you're wondering, my date with Aizen-san went well too." Hinamori stated.

Rukia smiled, almost forgetting that Hinamori had a life as well.

"How did it go?" Rukia asked, nudging Hinamori on the side. Hinamori sighed, dropping her hands to her side.

"It was pretty good. The only thing was the restaurant was so fancy. I mean, I sneezed, and people looked at me like I was the most inappropriate person on the planet. Aizen-san was nice though, smiling and laughing with me. We talked a lot and he seems to be a pretty great guy."

"Is there going to be a third date?" Rukia asked. Hinamori's blush and huge grin gave her answer away.

"We're going to see a show this Saturday night." Hinamori replied. They ended up walking to Rukia's office, talking and giggling the whole way there.

"How come you've been getting here so early?" Rukia asked, glancing at her watch. Hinamori shrugged her shoulders.

"I had some paperwork that I was behind on last Friday and I didn't want to stay afterwards, and there's a meeting this morning in Aizen's office. Everyone is supposed to come."

Rukia gasped. "What? I didn't know! What time?"

"About five minutes. We should probably get up there." Hinamori replied, glancing at her watch as well.

Rukia rolled her eyes. She just wasted about fifteen minutes of her time with Hinamori, and she hoped Ichigo wouldn't be mad, though she doubted he would.

She cringed when they reached the elevator, but quickly relaxed when she remembered Hinamori was with her. Hopefully having a friend would help.

"You ok?" Hinamori asked as they stepped onto the elevator, Rukia at a much slower rate. She nodded nervously and moved the side rail, holding on for dear life even before the doors closed.

Rukia almost felt complete déjà vu when she saw Ichigo standing at the other corner, reading some sort of magazine in his hands. He didn't seem to recognize anyone else on the elevator as his eyes were glued to the pages.

Hinamori nudged Rukia's side, grinning wildly. Rukia rolled her eyes and squeaked when the elevator started to move. There were a few other people on the elevator, but no one Rukia recognized.

She watched Ichigo's every move from the other end, thinking about the diner they went to Friday night, and if he could possibly have any feelings for her. Hinamori's words passed through her mind.

"_Kurosaki-san would never just invite you to go eat with him out of kindness, so this must be huge!"_

Hinamori was always good at figuring out odd situations, and even knew that Rukia liked Ichigo before Rukia actually realized it.

Just when the elevator started, it stopped, causing the ding to snap Rukia out of her daze. Ichigo looked up too and his eyes fell on hers, not leaving them.

Rukia could feel her heart beating in her chest. Did he want to talk to her? She didn't know, but she wasn't sure she would be capable of saying anything. How could he have such a hold on her?

The other people leaving the elevator glanced back at Rukia and Ichigo a couple of times, and before Rukia could move off, Hinamori quickly pulled forward, leaving her and Ichigo as the only two left.

Rukia smiled at him and walked off the elevator slowly so Ichigo could catch up if he wanted to. Ichigo's arm accidentally bumped into hers when he made his way next to her.

"Ah, Rukia-san." Ichigo said, folding his magazine in his hand.

"Good morning Kurosaki-san." Rukia replied politely. She had no idea what to say to him, and she suddenly wondered if he ever heard her shout when he pulled away Friday night.

"Friday night was fun, thanks for inviting me." Rukia nearly whispered, hoping no one would be listening.

"Yah it was." Ichigo replied, sticking his magazine in his back pocket, while his hands shoved into his front ones. Rukia smiled, folding her arms over her chest. She spotted Hinamori looking back smiling.

"Well hey if we ever have to stay after work again like last Friday then we should go get food or something again." Rukia said.

"Actually —" Ichigo began, but was cut off by a very bubbly voice.

"Kuchiki-san! How are you?" Inoue Orihime chirped walking right in between her and Ichigo. Rukia smiled, slightly annoyed to see her of all people at the particular moment.

"I'm good Inoue-san." Rukia replied quickly, glancing past Inoue at Ichigo. To her bad luck, Ichigo was stalking off to the meeting, a bit of irritation on his face. Hopefully the aggravation wasn't for some reason directed to her…

"Then again, I probably shouldn't be too friendly around him since people are suspecting things…" She was really sick of people looking at her oddly.

The meeting was jam packed with people, and Inoue didn't leave Rukia's side the entire time. Hinamori waved at them from the right side of the room and Rukia weaved her way through the crowd of sleepy employees, hoping to lose Inoue in the process. It seemed like the more she was around Inoue; the less she liked the woman. It was a harsh thing for Rukia to admit, but she had been a little sore with Inoue ever since the dinner party.

It was safe to admit that jealousy officially sucked.

Everyone grew quiet when Aizen walked into the room, smiling as always. "Good morning everyone." He stated happily. Aizen scanned the large office, and his smile widened when his eyes fell on Hinamori. Rukia smiled too at seeing Hinamori looking so happy. She still couldn't believe that Hinamori was going on dates with Aizen, but Hinamori seemed to like the man.

The meeting was overall very pointless. Aizen gave them a few tips on things changing with Seireitei Inc. and so forth. Ichigo leaned against a desk next to Aizen the whole time, hands folded tightly against his chest. Rukia continued to watch him like she had on the elevator, becoming captivated by him. There was something about the way he looked that made Rukia want to grin. Perhaps it was that he wasn't scowling as much, or maybe it was simply the knowledge that she had gone out with him, and that it shocked everyone.

Ichigo's eyes fell on hers again, and instead of being the coward she usually was and look away, she held his gaze, and her smile too. He smirked in return, not letting his eyes turn away. It was kind of crazy, but Aizen's voice floated away. She couldn't hear any of it as she looked at Ichigo. The meeting ended several minutes later, and Rukia followed everyone out of the meeting.

"I saw that." Hinamori muttered, smiling mischievously at Rukia. Rukia shook her head chuckling.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"He must really like you." Hinamori shot back, nudging Rukia's arm. Aizen was talking to Ichigo, so Rukia left to her office, assuming he would come to her office to get the work going.

When Rukia reached her office, she searched her drawers for something to do, knowing she probably had some file somewhere lying around. There were about five drawers by her desk, and everyone was locked. Just to check, she pulled on each one, hoping she wouldn't have to dig around for the key.

There was one that was unlocked, and Rukia realized it was where she had placed the piece of mask.

Slowly, Rukia pulled the drawer open, hoping that she would see a small black piece of fabric sitting right where she put it.

The piece wasn't there.

Rukia stood from her seat. "He didn't…did he?" Rukia whispered. Did Ichigo come in here and get it? How would he know where to look?

"Wait, did I move it?" Rukia thought. No, she hadn't. She hadn't ever touched the drawer since she put the piece in there.

Ichigo walked into her office a second later, and Rukia slowly turned to look at him.

"Have you been in my office when I wasn't in here?" Rukia suddenly asked. She wasn't exactly mad that the mask piece was missing, but it looked like someone had taken it, and she had the feeling Ichigo was the one to do it.

"Yes, I had to come in on Saturday to look for a file. I thought maybe I gave it to you and that you might have put it in here, so I came in to check." Ichigo replied, avoiding eye contact like he did when he was nervous.

"Did you look in my drawers too?"

"Yah." He replied, smirking a little. His hint of nervousness gave Rukia the answer she needed. Ichigo found the piece of his mask. She didn't know how to react to it, and sadly, her natural instincts took control.

"Was it really necessary to check my drawers?" She asked with a hint of warning. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not too uncommon for people to put things in their drawers, and when I found the key I just opened them all to check them."

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Did you find anything else?

"Um, yes."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?" She asked sarcastically.

"The piece of mask I gave you." He replied softly. Rukia realized he had moved closer to her, and Rukia stepped back.

"So what? You had my earring sitting on your desk for everyone to see." Rukia shot back, placing her hands on her desk. Ichigo sighed.

"Yah well I didn't exactly mean to. I put it in my jacket the night of the ball, and when I brought my jacket to work it fell out. Because I was in such a hurry I set it on that table, and I forgot about it." Ichigo tried to explain. Rukia smirked, crossing her arms.

"Right, sure, anyways, now that you've seen the piece of mask, and I've seen the earring, why don't we get back to our jobs?" Rukia stated, walking over to her computer. Ichigo frowned, fighting the urge to say something, but ended up only rolling his eyes.

"And you say that I'm mean." He mumbled.

"That's because you are, was, mean. And I'm not mean, I'm just honest." Rukia replied, smiling. Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, looking up at a wall.

"I'm sorry to say this week is going to be hectic too, so be ready to stay late again on Friday." Ichigo told her, glancing at his watch.

"Ok, so what do you want me to do right now?" Rukia asked.

"There's some stuff in my office you can come get." Ichigo told her, opening up her door. Rukia stood from her computer chair and followed behind her boss, once again ignoring the glances. She had a job to do after all, so people would just have to deal with seeing the two together.

And she had a feeling the rumors would only get worse in time with the amount Rukia seemed to spend with her very confusing boss.

They reached his office in no time, and like usual, Ichigo's office was extremely messy, filled with piles and piles of papers.

"Do you always have this much paperwork in here?" Rukia asked, trying not to step on anything. Ichigo sighed, moving some files out of his way so he could attempt to get to his own desk.

"It's just because its Yamamoto's planning period, so everything is always chaotic." Ichigo replied, finally reaching his desk.

"Here's some stuff for you to start on. This week is gonna be exactly the same as last week pretty much, but maybe a little lighter on the load. Just come by my room when you finish and I'll give you some more stuff." Ichigo stated.

Rukia nodded and took the files from his hands, hoping not to drop them. "Oh wait, I need to give you one more thing." Ichigo said before Rukia left.

She stood at the doorway, waiting for him to give her whatever he needed to give, and let her eyes roam his cluttered office. Rukia once again found her earring, which she smiled at, and then next to it was the piece of mask.

"Kurosaki-san?" Rukia suddenly asked.

"Yah what is it?" Ichigo replied, looking in one of his drawers for something.

"Were you planning on keeping the piece of mask? If I recall correctly, you gave it to me."

Ichigo lifted his head from the drawers and stood straight and tall. "Ah, right." He replied, looking embarrassed.

"Why did you take it anyways?" Rukia asked.

"I don't know, I just took it and left without thinking."

Ichigo was sounding more and more like Rukia with the "not thinking" deal.

Rukia smiled as Ichigo picked up the small piece on his desk and threw it to Rukia. "Are you happy now?" He asked sarcastically. Rukia nodded her head.

"And here's the file I was looking for. It's very important that you don't lose it."

"Well wouldn't it be bad if I lost any of the files?" Rukia asked playfully.

"Yes it would, but this one could possibly cost us our jobs, so just don't lose it."

"No pressure or anything…" Rukia mumbled. She said goodbye to her boss and left the office. Just as Ichigo predicted, the week began the way the previous one had, file after file after file, and then the occasion visit to Ichigo. The work was starting to get boring, but Rukia was at least glad she could go and see Ichigo a few times during the day. Now that she thought about it, Rukia liked Ichigo as her boss.

At the end of the day, Rukia made her last trip to Ichigo's office to see if anything else needed to get done. His office looked even worse than before somehow, and Rukia couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?" He asked, frowning slightly. Rukia shook her head.

"You're room. Every time I come in here there are more and more files. If you keep it up you're going to lose track of them."

"Hey you try keeping over one thousand files up to date." He replied with not as much humor.

"I could and I would." Rukia replied. Her specialty was organization, inherited from her Kuchiki family. Both her mother and father majored in accounting in college, so budgeting and staying on top of things was a must.

"Don't get so full of yourself." Ichigo muttered, smirking.

"I'm not full of myself, I'm being truthful."

"You seem to be truthful an awful lot."

"It's part of my personality."

Rukia and Ichigo looked at each other, a hint of a glare threatening to come. Ichigo was the first to pull away, fumbling with some file on his desk as a poor excuse.

"Well if we're all done here is it ok if I leave?" Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded, keeping his eyes locked on his desk where the file was located.

"Yah, go ahead and go." Ichigo stated.

"I'll see you in the morning then." Rukia replied, smiling at him again. He glanced at her awkwardly, mumbling a goodbye.

Rukia grabbed her purse and signed out. The worst day of the week was always Monday, and Rukia had to admit that it wasn't half bad. It blew her mind at how much she was saying to Ichigo. He acted completely different to her now, kind, extremely flirty, and much more understanding.

It was nice to finally get a little attention for working so hard, and Ichigo was giving her that and more.

Rukia decided to walk home. The weather was cool and the sun was out. She favored winter over anything, but it was nice to enjoy the hint of spring approaching. Just as she started walking in the direction of her house, she heard a voice calling her name.

"Is that Kurosaki-san?" Rukia thought, stopping to wait. Sure enough, Ichigo was practically running out of Seireitei Inc., heading towards Rukia.

She blinked when he stopped right in front of her, nearly panting for breath.

"Did I forget something?" Rukia asked. Ichigo stood up straight, looking at the ground.

"Well-you see-I —" Ichigo began, running a hand through his hair.

"Spit it out." Rukia replied. She was glad Ichigo came to say something to her, but it wouldn't do any good if he ended up never saying it.

"There's a local concert this Saturday night, and I have two tickets, would you want to come?" Ichigo asked rather quickly.

Rukia blinked again, stumped. Did she have anything going on Saturday night? No, she didn't, and if she did, she could easily cancel it for nothing could beat going out with Ichigo.

"Yah, I'll go. So is it a date then?" Rukia asked. The little outing at the diner had thrown her off, so she figured she would get it over with and ask him before hand.

"Yes, it's a date." Ichigo replied, smiling at her. She mentally squealed.

She said her goodbyes to Ichigo, and almost skipped home. Rukia was going on an official date with Ichigo, and she didn't even know the band playing.

"Who cares?" Rukia muttered. It didn't matter what band would play. All that mattered was she would be with Ichigo, on a real and true date. Rukia was naturally a stubborn person, but even she was beginning to think that Ichigo liked her back.

She still had a little while to go as it was only Monday, but Rukia would make it and hopefully, the rest of the week would go by really fast.

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**A/N:** I know this was another talking blah blah chapter, but I think it turned out good. I liked writing the part where Ichigo kept looking at her in the meeting, don't ask why, but I find it really cute that he looks at her when there are so many other people. And is anyone getting the vibe that Inoue is jealous?? Hmm…. Anyways, YAY!! They are going on an "official" date!! And no I'm not going to drag out Rukia's entire week, so their date will be next chapter!! WOOT!

Ok, I have a quick question. Are Ichigo and Rukia in character? I mean, I think they are, considering everything, but what do you guys think? Someone said they weren't, so I was just curious to everyone's opinion. Keeping them in character is like…a huge deal for me, and I feel they are, but what about you all? (In case people don't know what in character means, I'm basically wondering if Rukia is acting like Rukia, and Ichigo is acting like Ichigo, like in the series.)

Thanks for all the awesome reviews!! Keep em coming!!


	17. Ch16: Real Answers

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I took out the summary because I figure you guys know the plot by now :).

I'm shocked guys. I didn't think I would hit 500 reviews, and I did. Just, wow, thank you so much for all of the wonderful and helpful reviews, seriously. As for replying to them, it was kind of impossible with everything I had going on, so I apologize. But a lot of you gave me very helpful advice with the characterization, and I went and tried to edit this some more. Hehe.

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.16 Real Answers**

Rukia sat on her couch, nervously waiting for what was to come.

In about fifteen minutes, at seven o'clock, she was going on a date with Kurosaki Ichigo. Not a fake little outing, but a real, the guy pays for everything, a possible kiss at the end, date. Rukia still didn't know why he'd asked her, or why he had an interest in her of all people, but whatever the reason; she would embrace it and welcome it with open arms.

Hinamori squealed when Rukia told her the news of their date, and was very surprised.

"_I didn't expect it to happen so soon!" Hinamori cried. _

Rukia smiled at Hinamori's words.

It had taken her hours to get ready. Even if Rukia could sound like a tomboy, she loved fashion and dressing cute, with Hisana's help of course. She had on a cute jacket and shirt with a frilly skirt. It stated that "I'm trying but not really" look, and Rukia felt it fit the night. Ichigo wasn't one to go complimenting every chance he got, so Rukia saw no point in wearing anything over the top. She didn't feel like it anyways.

Her hair was down like it usually was, but Rukia added a bit more makeup, just for fun. She wore her favorite dark blue flats, and jewelry to match. So now, Rukia waited for Ichigo to come, curious as to how the night would go.

The more time she spent with him, the more natural and comfortable things felt. She could talk to him about more things, such as the ball. Rukia still wanted to ask him a few questions about it, and she felt that going to concert with him might be a good opportunity.

The minute her clock turned to seven, there was a knock on her door. Rukia stood from her couch, and walked to her door. She took a deep breath and turned the doorknob.

Kurosaki Ichigo was quite possibly the most breathtaking man Rukia had ever seen.

He had some nice dark blue jacket on making him look slim, and he wore denim jeans to match. Everything he wore looked perfect. Rukia smiled at him, closing the door behind.

"You look er…nice Rukia-san." Ichigo mumbled, scratching his head. Rukia grinned again.

"Thank you." She replied, making eye contact with him. Rukia could tell he was nervous, and she hoped she didn't look as obvious as he did. Her stomach was churning with butterflies.

When they reached his car, Ichigo opened Rukia's door for her. She was surprised, but climbed into his vehicle, happy to know he could be a gentleman.

Ichigo walked to his door, sat in his seat, and turned the car on. Rukia could smell Ichigo's cologne from where she sat, and it smelled wonderful.

"So Kurosaki-san, who is the band playing?" Rukia asked, turning her attention fully to him.

"The band is called Senbonzakura. I've only heard them a few times, but they're pretty good." Ichigo stated as he drove to their destination.

"I think my brother likes them…" Rukia mumbled. Ichigo nodded and they continued down the road.

The ride was relaxing, and when they reached a red light, Ichigo tossed her a cd case.

"Pick a cd." Ichigo commanded. Rukia sighed and unzipped the black case. There were tons of bands Rukia had never heard of, but remembering Ichigo couldn't remember any of the names, stuck a random cd in.

"What did you put in?" Ichigo asked as they waited for the music to start.

"It didn't say anything on it." Rukia replied. Ichigo smirked and began moving when the light turned green. The ride was mainly silent, but Rukia didn't mind too much. Just having the company of Ichigo was reason enough to enjoy the time. They reached the park in about fifteen minutes.

"The concert doesn't start until eight, so if you want we can grab a bite to eat." Ichigo said as they walked out of the parking lot. There were a lot of other people as well.

Rukia nodded. She hadn't even thought about eating.

"Alright, where do you want to go? There's a hot dog stand, a burger place, and I don't know what else, do you have any suggestions?" Ichigo asked with his hands in his pockets.

"Um, hot dogs sound pretty good." Rukia replied smiling. Ichigo nodded smiling back, and the two walked together to get hot dogs.

"Two hot dogs please." Ichigo said to the chubby, greasy guy. After they got their hot dogs and added whatever they wanted to them, they found a bench and sat down.

"The weather is so nice." Rukia said, closing her eyes as the wind hit her face.

"Ah, it is." Ichigo replied, taking a large bite out of his hot dog.

"These concerts really are popular…" Rukia mumbled, glancing at the people walking by. Ichigo sighed.

"It's kind of what Karakura is known for. Even when I was little they had these concerts, but they're much more popular now-a-days since so many people live here."

"Did you go to them when you were little too?" Rukia asked.

"Yah, me and my family came all the time. They were a lot of fun, and they still are when I get the chance to go."

Rukia suddenly thought of Ichigo's ring, and how his father had given it to him. "Didn't he say something about his mother?" Rukia thought. She decided to ask.

"Kurosaki-san —"

"At least call me Ichigo-san since I call you Rukia-san." Ichigo interrupted.

"Oh ok, Ichigo-san, why does your ring say hierarchy on it?"

Ichigo paused, staring out at the pond in front of them. "My mother gave this ring to my father before I was born.. They had some huge inside joke with the word hierarchy, and so my mom put it on his ring. I guess it was a promise ring to my dad in a way. My dad said it was the only joke my mother ever laughed at."

Rukia smiled, but quickly frowned. "You use your mother in the past tense, did she —"

"My mother died three years ago."

Rukia suddenly felt like the biggest jerk in the world, not really knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. Rukia had never lost anyone close to her, so she had no idea what it felt like.

"Don't worry about it. I miss her, but it's ok." Ichigo said softly. He looked sad suddenly, and Rukia was tempted to put a hand to his shoulder to comfort him or something, but Ichigo broke the silence.

"We should probably start heading over to the concert area. It's gonna get crowded pretty soon." Ichigo said as he rose to his feet. Rukia followed. She quickly noticed men watching her, smiling sheepishly at her. Rukia was a tough girl, but it freaked her out.

Instinctively, Rukia wrapped one of her arms around Ichigo's, hoping the men would look away. Some did, but a few still let their eyes linger on her.

She could feel how tense Ichigo suddenly became, and released her arm from him. "Sorry, I hate when guys stare at me like I'm some piece of meat." Rukia muttered. Ichigo suddenly looked slightly angry and turned his head back.

"Who?" He asked, sounding a little worried. Rukia smiled.

"Just some nasty guys who have probably been drinking too much." Rukia replied, laughing slightly.

She moved a little closer to him when they finally reached the ticket booth. The same old man from last time took her ticket, eyes glued to her small chest the whole time, and let them pass. If she thought there were a lot of men from outside, then the ones inside the concert were worse. Men were actually whistling at her. She knew it had to be her because there weren't any other women around.

What happened next truly surprised her. Ichigo's hand suddenly clasped with hers tightly, and they began moving at a much faster rate. Rukia knew she was blushing, but Ichigo looked too flustered to care.

"Well I'm glad everyone drinking finds me attractive." Rukia said sarcastically.

"I guess you shouldn't have dressed so nice." Ichigo replied, smiling slightly. He looked extremely aggravated.

Rukia realized she was still holding his hand, but she didn't want to let go. Sadly, his hands suddenly let go of hers, and the frown that came to her face couldn't have been stopped. They continued down the long aisles until they reached their seats, which were pretty close to the front.

"You know last time I came to one of these there weren't men like that." Rukia said as they sat down. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"Depends on the band playing. Senbonzakura is I guess a bit of an older band, so the crowd that likes them the most comes, which are probably men who come to get wasted. A band like the Howling Zabimarus has a younger sound to it, so younger people, like teenagers and even kids can come, so there isn't so much drinking involved. Do I make any sense?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia chuckled. "Yah, I understand. I've just never had so many men whistle at me before, maybe my sister, but not me."

"Isn't she your twin?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, but she's got a more outgoing personality then me, and can handle that kind of stuff."

"Ah." Ichigo responded.

Suddenly, Ichigo was ducking his head down, trying to pull his jacket over his head.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked. Ichigo hushed her.

"Just shut up and duck!" Ichigo hissed. Bewildered by Ichigo's abrupt change, Rukia listened to him.

"Ichigo? Is that YOU?" A loud voice called. Ichigo didn't respond and stayed in the same position, eyes closed.

"Ichi-nii? Why are you hiding?" A female voice asked, a familiar female voice.

"Just ignore them, just ignore them." Ichigo repeated, his eyes squeezed tightly closed. There were three people making their way over to Ichigo, and Rukia instantly recognized them.

His family.

"ICHIGO! My son!! What are you doing here —"

Ichigo's father froze, and his eyes fell upon Rukia.

"Are you on a DATE?" The light haired girl asked. The other girl laughed.

"Oh this is just too priceless!" The dark haired girl sang. Ichigo's father patted Ichigo on the back.

"Good job my boy! You really know how to pick em!!" Ichigo's father leaned over Ichigo so he could move closer to Rukia.

"My name's Kurosaki Isshin, and I am Ichigo's father! These are his two younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin. And what might your name be?" Isshin asked in a very nice voice.

"Uh Kuchiki Rukia." She replied slowly. Rukia glanced at Ichigo next to her to see his scowl deeper than ever before.

"She's pretty Ichi-nii!" Yuzu chirped, patting Ichigo on the head.

"I never thought you would go on a date!" Isshin cried, laughing at the end.

"Finally you run into a girl desperate enough to go out with you." Karin muttered with her arms crossed. Rukia felt great embarrassment, but nothing could compare to how Ichigo probably felt.

"If you're all done here the concert is about to start, so why don't you go find your seats?" Ichigo asked angrily.

"Alright, alright, let's get going girls. Don't blow it Ichigo! Make daddy proud!!" Isshin sang as all three of them walked away.

Rukia had no idea of what to say when the three were gone, what could she say?

"I didn't think they would come to this concert, which is why I went ahead and bought the tickets." Ichigo muttered, his elbows propped up on the seat arms.

"They're nice." Rukia replied, smiling. It was all she could really say. She suddenly recalled some of Ichigo's words.

"_Well yah, but actually my sister Karin likes it, and she's the normal one in our family."_

Rukia giggled silently to herself, feeling bad for Ichigo. It seemed like he was really the normal one in his family, but she supposed that no one actually had a normal family. Her own family had weird quirks about them, like how they were all obsessed with Chappy the bunny, and how they discarded juice boxes in their house because they could never figure out how to open the stupid things…

"Don't worry about it." Rukia stated. Ichigo sighed, and leaned forward. The lights dimmed following, and the band Senbonzakura ran out.

Rukia liked the band more than the Howling Zabimarus, wanting to possibly buy their cd afterwards. The concert ended at ten o'clock, but Rukia wasn't ready to go home. The night was still technically young. Ichigo and Rukia walked out of the concert side by side, and the crowd of nasty men wasn't there any longer. They stopped when they reached the park.

"Do you want to go home? Or do you want to do something else?" Ichigo asked.

"What could we do?" Rukia replied. Ichigo looked around them, spotting several places.

"How about we walk around and see what we find?" Ichigo asked. Rukia smiled and nodded, and the two made their way around the park. There were lanterns lighted up around the pond, causing the water to glow.

"Is there some sort of festival going on?" Rukia asked, seeing people dressed up in kimonos.

"I guess there is. It must be small though because I didn't hear anything about it." Ichigo replied. They came upon a small aisle of different buildings, some looking newer than others.

"Alright well here we go, there's a food place, an arcade, and a bar. Anything sound interesting?" Ichigo asked. Rukia contemplated. She didn't want to go to a bar, but she wasn't hungry. Going to an arcade didn't sound too thrilling either.

"I picked where we eat, so you decide." Rukia replied. Ichigo rolled his eyes looking at the different places.

"I hear some music coming from the bar, do you want to check it out?" Ichigo asked. Rukia didn't like bars too much, but maybe it wouldn't be too bad if they had music and stuff playing. Besides, she was currently locked with Ichigo, so going anywhere made her feel ok.

"Alright let's go." Rukia said smiling. The bar wasn't too crowded, and the guy playing acoustically on his guitar sounded really good. Ichigo and Rukia took a seat at one of the tables.

"It doesn't even really feel like a bar…" Rukia mumbled.

"Do you not like bars very much?"

"They're ok, it just depends on the atmosphere." Rukia responded. They sat and watched the guy strum his guitar.

"I wish I could play something like that." Rukia stated, leaning onto the table.

"I used to play the guitar, but I wasn't ever good at it."

Rukia laughed as a skanky looking waitress approached the two.

"Can I get you anything?" The woman asked, leaning right over Ichigo so her bosoms peaked out.

"Just water for the both of us." Ichigo said. The woman smiled at him, and only him, and walked away. Rukia glared at the woman as she passed. First men were whistling at her, and now women were winking at him.

"So what did you think of Senbonzakura?" Ichigo asked.

"They sounded really good. I liked them a lot better than Howling Zabimarus."

Ichigo smirked. "The only reason I went to see the Howling Zabimarus was because my father dragged me out of the house, otherwise I don't go to these things too often now-a-days."

The waitress came back a few minutes later with their drinks, and smiled at Ichigo again. He appeared clueless to the girl, and Rukia was thankful. Then again, Matsumoto always tried to get his attention but it never seemed to work.

Ichigo appeared to be a pretty inexperienced guy when it came to women.

More people were starting to come into the bar. Rukia saw some men glancing at her, but she ignored them. She had to remember that she was in a bar, where a man hitting on women was a normal thing. Hopefully Rukia and Ichigo would leave soon before things began to possibly turn ugly.

"Do you want to get anything to drink?" Ichigo asked.

"Oh no, I don't like to drink alcohol."

"Didn't you say you had some at the masquerade ball?"

"I thought you weren't good at remembering things." Rukia mumbled.

She sighed, taking a sip of her water. "I only had one small glass of champagne at the ball. That night was a little crazy anyways."

Ichigo nodded in agreement. "Since we're on the topic, when did you find out I was the one to you know —"

"Kiss me?" Rukia paused, getting the courage she needed. "Well I just happened to be leaving your office one day and I saw my earring sitting there on your desk. Now I have a question, did you know before hand it was me? Did you even care?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo suddenly looked uneasy. "I didn't care at first, but when everything happened on the elevator that one day, the way you acted reminded me of something familiar. I started putting two and two together and realized it could mean the ball. I wasn't a hundred percent sure it was you until you admitted it to me."

"That was a really rough day by the way. I can't believe I said that." Rukia blurted out, not believing what she was saying to him now. It was a little late to be making up excuses for what she said that long day ago.

"Don't sweat it." Ichigo replied.

They grew quiet for a few moments and listened to the guitarist playing his music. Ichigo suddenly smirked as another waitress walked by with a tray of drinks.

"I'm surprised you didn't order anything strawberry." Ichigo muttered.

"Surprised? I told you I didn't drink."

"Yah alcohol, but I never thought strawberry was defined as that."

"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not obsessed with it like you keep thinking."

"You sure seem obsessed to me…" Ichigo mumbled. Rukia couldn't help but glare at him. He was aggravating at times, but in a good way she supposed.

Before Rukia could argue with Ichigo more, he stood from his seat. "I've got to use the restroom, are you gonna be ok here?" He asked, looking towards a crowd of lurking men.

Rukia smiled. "I'll be fine." She replied. Ichigo walked off, leaving Rukia alone. She continued to glance around the bar, avoiding stares from lustful men.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kuchiki Rukia?" Some one asked.

Rukia instantly recognized the voice, and her eyes widened. She turned her head slowly to the person, not wanting to really face him.

"G-Grimmjow." Rukia whispered. He looked exactly as how she remembered. Cocky smile, wandering eyes, and probably the same sick mind.

"How are you?" He asked, taking Ichigo's seat.

"I'm fine, now please leave." Rukia said, turning her body away. She heard Grimmjow laugh.

"C'mon Rukia, why don't you talk to me a little bit, it's been over a half a year hasn't it?" His voice was cold and piercing. It was the same cold voice that screamed at her, and threatened her. Rukia had the feeling it was no coincidence that he suddenly popped up to say hello.

"Have you been following me?" She asked. Grimmjow laughed, moving a little closer.

"Maybe I have. So what? I wanted to see how you were doing."

"I already told you, I'm fine. I'm on a date right now so please, go away." Rukia said a little harsher. She didn't care to be kind to the man that used to hit her.

Grimmjow snickered more, placing an arm on Rukia's shoulder. "Don't be like that. I just happened to come to the concert and saw you, so I thought it would be nice to say hello." He whispered to her. His breath smelled heavily of alcohol.

She pushed his arm off, standing up from the table. "Go away." She warned. Rukia had punched him before, and she would do it again if needs be.

Grimmjow inched towards her and grabbed her arm. "C'mon, let's go talk somewhere." He was beyond drunk, and it frightened her. Any little thing could set him off.

"Go home Grimmjow." Rukia threatened, yanking her arm out of his grasp. No one at the bar seemed to care that the man was holding Rukia against her own free will.

Grimmjow grabbed her arm again with much more force than before. "You're comin with me." He muttered, and tried pulling her out.

"Just what do you think you're doin?" A voice from behind hissed. Rukia turned her head to see Ichigo standing close to the two, hands clenched into fists.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: ** Evil cliffy, I know, but if I want the next chapter to be the way I want, then I had to end it there. SORRY!! And I know it's a bit cliché to have some guy come and try to hit on the girl and then the other guy (Ichigo in this case) come and save her, but it's one of my favorite things in a story (if you guys have read The Secrets We Hide then you know I love a little angst hehe). There won't be too much though, just a little to cause some nice drama. There will be more of an explanation of why Grimmjow just randomly showed up in the next chapter. I also tried to throw a little bit of immature arguing in there (the strawberry thing). I figure its gotta slowly come about.

REVIEW!! I've said it a crapload of times, but you guys rock! I recently discovered a talent for making macaroni and cheese, so does anybody want some??? Review and ye shall receive.


	18. Ch17: Unwanted Nosebleeds

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I took out the summary because I figure you guys know the plot by now XD.

Ok guys, I have to tell you my dream I had. In my dream, I was watching Bleach (sad isn't it?) and Rukia and Ichigo were running from Aizen (kind of like now except they're fighting him...) Well, something happened (can't remember), and Ichigo kissed her!! I thought it was real and I was soo happy, but then I woke up, and I realized it was a dream. I was extremely depressed. Gosh, I really hope they end up together, otherwise I might hate Bleach (all because of a stupid dream…) Sorry, I just thought I would share it with you guys since we love Ichigo and Rukia so much!!

ANYWAYS, Oh no!! Grimmjow has Rukia!! What will Ichigo do? Will he save her? PS I had to change this entire chapter (because of stuff) so I hope its ok!

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.17 Unwanted Nosebleeds**

"Just what do you think you're doin?" A voice from behind hissed. Rukia turned her head to see Ichigo standing close to the two, hands clenched into fists.

"Who the hell are you?" Grimmjow asked. Rukia was able to break his grip on her arm and she backed away.

"Doesn't matter who I am, but what does matter is what you were doin just now." Ichigo muttered back. Rukia was well away from Grimmjow, and much closer to Ichigo now.

"I can do whatever the hell I want. If you wanted to keep Rukia in a safe place then you should have brought her somewhere else."

Rukia was starting to get really pissed off now. "Just leave Grimmjow." Rukia muttered.

"You know him?" Ichigo asked, looking suddenly confused.

"It's a very long story." Rukia replied back, looking down at the ground.

"If you wanna know, I used to date the slut, and it looks like she's not much better than she used to be." Grimmjow hissed. Ichigo took a step forward.

"I don't know who you are or why you're suddenly here, but you really should leave, otherwise you might regret it." Ichigo muttered back. Rukia was in shock. Was Ichigo…_protecting_ her?

"All I wanted was to say hello to Rukia, and I can't even do that without some bastard butting in the way."

"You said hello to her, now get out."

Rukia moved her head back and forth as the two shouted insults at each other. She didn't know what exactly would happen, but if Grimmjow was the same jerk she knew him to be, then they weren't going to be taking any easy way out.

"Why do I have to be the one to leave?" Grimmjow asked, a playful smile on his drunken lips. Ichigo rolled his eyes, glancing at Rukia. He was standing closer to the doorway then Ichigo and Rukia were, practically blocking their path from leaving.

"Fine, I don't have a problem with getting away from scum like you." Ichigo shot back. Rukia shook her head.

"You know he's not going to just let us leave." Rukia whispered to Ichigo. He smirked.

"If he tries anything funny I'll knock him out."

Rukia wanted to laugh. She didn't see Ichigo as the type to punch anyone. Then again, she always saw him at work, so who was she to judge exactly? Ichigo grabbed her hand, and Rukia stayed close to him. Grimmjow moved out of the way so they could pass, a sly smile on his lips. Rukia knew he wasn't done, and they kept walking straight out.

Before they even reached the door, Grimmjow's snide comment cost Ichigo a nosebleed.

"Have fun with her, she's good at pleasing, for a little while."

Rukia's hand almost lost its circulation as Ichigo squeezed it tightly. He let go and slowly turned around, making contact with Grimmjow's fist.

"Ichigo!" Rukia shrieked. Grimmjow punched him square in the nose, and Ichigo flew back to the wall, his head smacking into a shelf roughly.

"What a pussy!" Grimmjow shouted, laughing. Too much anger overwhelmed Rukia at the moment. It pissed her off to no ends that Grimmjow threw a cheap shot at Ichigo.

She was surprised when Ichigo stood off the wall, a hand to his bloody nose.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Ichigo muttered, wiping as much blood off as he could. Before anything else could be said or done, Ichigo brought up his right fist, and pounded it into Grimmjow's left cheek.

Rukia stood in utter shock at seeing Ichigo, who had just been punched extremely hard, and even landed onto a shelf, standing back up again, and punching the daylights out of her ex-boyfriend.

She grinned from ear to ear.

Grimmjow's fell and hit head against the table right next to him, and he collapsed onto the floor, groaning tiresomely.

Ichigo smirked, sensing his victory.

"Let's get out of here Rukia." Ichigo said, his words started to slur. Rukia suddenly realized Ichigo was beginning to stumble. She moved him to the wall before he fell (right next to the shelf he hit) and let him lean against it for support.

"You're nose is bleeding." She almost whispered. He smirked lightly.

"This is nothin really."

"Then how come you're about to pass out?" Rukia asked, a playful smile on her lips.

From behind, she could hear some grumbling. Rukia turned her head to see Grimmjow sitting up off the floor, his eyes barely open.

"Come on you bastard, is that all you got?" Grimmjow whispered, barely sitting up straight. Rukia glared at Grimmjow dangerously, and began moving away from Ichigo. She was pretty angry that Ichigo got punched because of her, and couldn't help what she did next.

Rukia saw an open beer bottle nearby, grabbed it, and smacked it over Grimmjow's head. He of course passed out following, and Rukia smiled again. People in the bar clapped for Rukia, some shouting out an encore. She moved her way back to Ichigo, placing an arm around him for support.

"Did you just break a beer bottle over his head?" He mumbled, looking dazed.

"Yes I did, is that ok?"

Ichigo smiled. "I could have beaten the daylights out of him ya know, if you would have let me."

"I think my head hit that pretty hard." He said as he sighed, closing his eyes for a second.

"You're pretty stupid. Did you really think he was going to just let us walk out?" Rukia asked irritated. The bar tender handed her a bag of ice, and Rukia gently placed it to his nose. He hissed loudly, but his face calmed a few seconds later.

"I don't even understand why he said those things about you." Ichigo's voice was beginning to slur.

"Don't worry about it, and you didn't have to give him that punch, I was perfectly capable of doing it. I've kicked his ass before, and I'll do it again."

Ichigo chuckled. "Yah I did." He replied, grinning at her. Rukia smiled back, glancing at Grimmjow to make sure he was still unconscious. He must have been pretty wasted to pass out with just a few hits. It used to take much more than that…

"I'm surprised Grimmjow punched you so hard in the state he was in."

"I'm surprised too, and how come I see two of you right now. You're eyes are bright, it kind of hurts to look at you."

Rukia laughed, keeping her eyes locked on his.

"I don't see why you dated a guy like him, you're much better than that." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia knew he was very dazed to be saying such things out loud, but she knew he was being honest.

"Shut up." She replied, and slowly lowered her lips down to his, being careful not to bump his nose. Rukia only pecked his lips with hers lightly, but it was enough to get her message out loud and clear.

Ichigo had fought for her, and it was quite possibly one of the sweetest things a person had ever done for her.

"I think we might need to call an ambulance." Rukia whispered, pulling her head away. Ichigo groaned.

"No, I'm fine really." Ichigo was grinning, and Rukia didn't know if it had to do with the fact that Rukia just kissed him. The bar tender dropped down next to Rukia.

"You'd be surprised at how many people get punched the way he just did and end up being fine." The female bar tender said. She placed her hands behind Ichigo's head; feeling around much like Ichigo did with Rukia on the elevator.

"He'll be ok, just get him home so he can sleep." The bar tender stated.

"Are you sure? What about his nose?" Rukia asked. The woman only had her hands on his head for about five seconds.

"Trust me, I've seen people get in fights at bars, and what this guy suffered is nothing. Just get him home and let him rest. If his nose stays swollen for a long time, then take him to the doctor, otherwise you might waste a good and expensive trip to the hospital."

Rukia decided to listen to the "wise" bartender, and helped Ichigo stand up. He had to lean against her, but other than that he could walk.

"Do you need any help getting him to the car?" The bar tender asked. Rukia shook her head.

"Just make sure _he_ doesn't wake up any time soon." Rukia said pointing at Grimmjow. She was still furious at the guy for popping up. He had a tendency to do that, and it frightened Rukia.

"I'll drive home." Rukia said when they finally reached his car.

"N-no, I can do it." Ichigo slurred. Rukia helped him into the passenger seat, and put his seat belt on.

"Hold this ice to your nose." Rukia demanded, placing the cool bag in his hand. Ichigo sighed and winced when the coldness hit his already in pain nose. Rukia sat down in the driver's seat. It took a good five minutes just to get the seat where she wanted because she was so short.

"Ok Rukia, just breathe." She whispered. Rukia hadn't driven a car in about two years, and it made her a little nervous. Her old car also wasn't as big as Ichigo's, but there was nothing else she could do. Did she even know how to get home?

"Wait…what about Ichigo?" She thought, biting her lip.

"Kurosa-I mean, Ichigo-san, where do you live?"

Ichigo groaned. "I can't think right now."

"You really are a baby."

Ichigo glared at Rukia from the side. "Hey, if you had taken the punch from the guy then you would have been like this too."

Rukia chuckled, feeling a little guilty. If Rukia had never met Grimmjow, then Ichigo wouldn't have gotten punched. She frowned.

"Look, why don't you just stay at my apartment for the night." Rukia suggested. It was the easiest idea she could think of, considering she actually knew how to get there.

"What ever." Ichigo mumbled back. The punch really knocked some sense out of him. Slowly, Rukia pulled out of the almost empty parking lot, and made her way home. Rukia surprisingly liked driving the trail blazer. It was easy to steer, and smooth on the roads for such a big vehicle. Rukia was a little rusty at first, but after stopping at a few lights, she got the hang of it.

When they reached Rukia's apartment, she helped Ichigo out of the car and into her home. He could walk on his own now, but Rukia kept a hand on his back just in case. She couldn't help but notice how steely his back felt, and blushed at the thought of seeing it bare.

"Oh my gosh, he's sleeping at my apartment. How am I going to explain this to Hinamori?" Rukia mentally screamed. They stopped in front of her apartment, and Rukia unlocked the door.

"I'm feeling better now, so I can go home if you want." Ichigo muttered. He appeared aggravated.

"Don't be ridiculous." Rukia stated, closing the door behind them. She directed him to the couch.

"I don't have a guest bedroom, so you can sleep in here. The couch folds into a bed." Rukia stated, walking into her bedroom. She brought out a pillow for him to use.

"What time is it?" Ichigo asked. Rukia looked at her clock. "It's almost eleven thirty." She replied.

"It didn't seem like we were at the bar that long…" Ichigo mumbled. Rukia sat down on the couch next to him, feeling exhausted suddenly.

"Listen, if you need to use the restroom or take a shower, it's to your left. Get whatever you want out of the kitchen if you get hungry." Rukia stood from the couch, wanting to go to bed. It wasn't even occurring to her that Kurosaki Ichigo was sitting on _her_ couch, using _her_ pillow, possibly eating _her_ food, and maybe even taking a shower in _her_ bathroom.

No, nothing was hitting her at all, and the only reason Rukia didn't go to bed following her words was because of Ichigo, and how he suddenly wanted to talk.

"It's not even midnight and you're going to sleep?" Ichigo asked, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"I had to haul you all the way to your car, which was pretty far away from where we were at." Rukia snapped back. Her lower back ached, and she wanted to take a muscle relaxer.

"Well I was just punched in the face, and my head hit something really hard, and I'm not even tired."

"Yes, but you will be very soon." Rukia said. She really was surprised he wasn't already sleeping. Ichigo could pretend to be as tough as he wanted, but any strong guy that took the punch Ichigo did (even if he punched Grimmjow back) would probably need to rest for about a week.

"Who ever said this date of ours was over anyways?" Ichigo asked. Rukia felt a little confused. What was he trying to imply? Surely he wouldn't mean…doing something like _that _would he? Then again, he was acting a little loopy.

"Do you have any cards?" Ichigo suddenly asked. Rukia blinked.

"Do I have any_cards_?" Rukia asked back, extremely confused.

"You know, like playing cards."

Rukia shook her head. She hadn't played any card games since she was a small child. It was kind of cute that Ichigo wanted to play a game instead of wanting to be a male adult and have his way with her.

"Dang, well do you have any board games?"

"No I don't, and it's not very fun anyways with two people."

"You don't have any_board games_? I thought my house was boring…" Ichigo mumbled. Rukia was tempted to smack him or something, but she figured he had gone through enough pain for the day.

"Alright, well since you don't have any games, then how about I ask you some questions, and you answer." Ichigo looked slightly more serious.

"Why don't you tell me about Grimmjow?"

Rukia sighed. Why did he all of the sudden want to know? She really didn't want to talk about him, but she figured since Grimmjow did punch Ichigo, he deserved answers.

"He's my ex-boyfriend."

"I know that already, but why was he grabbing you like that? Is he a little rough when he drinks or somethin?"

"You could say that…" Rukia nearly whispered, looking down. She probably sounded pathetic in front of him, but it just couldn't be helped. Ichigo's eyes were hard and steely.

"What do you mean by that?" He muttered.

"Look Kurosa-I mean, Ichigo-san, I don't like talking about it very much." Rukia replied. Ichigo sighed, leaning back into the couch.

"Did he hurt you?" Ichigo asked in a softer tone.

"Not too bad." She stated, clasping her hands together.

"Was it just a coincidence that you saw him at the bar?" Ichigo asked.

"I don't think so. Grimmjow used to keep tabs on me all the time when we were dating. He never moved away from Karakura, so it was only a matter of time that I would run into him again. Grimmjow said he saw me going into the concert, and followed me until we reached the bar."

"I'm sorry." Ichigo stated. Rukia smiled. Ichigo paused for a moment before continuing.

"Why are you sorry? It was my fault for getting into a relationship with him in the first place. I finally stood up to him, and he backed off."

"You did say that you kicked his ass before."

"Yes I did, and let me tell you, it felt wonderful."

Rukia glanced at the clock. "It's midnight. We should probably get some sleep. Stop trying to act all big and bad because I took the final blow to Grimmjow and go to sleep."

Ichigo crossed his arms, scowling. "I told you I could have gotten him if he hadn't been so quick."

Rukia smiled. "What ever you say. Don't let it hurt your pride too much."

"I don't have a pride anymore."

She laughed, and helped him unfold the couch. Rukia had never slept on the couch bed, and it looked very comfortable. Maybe she would let Ichigo sleep on her bed instead…

Rukia slapped herself mentally. It was bad enough that he would be using her restroom, but sleeping on her _bed_? With her flowery comforter and Chappy quilt? Not to mention how messy her bedroom was, with underwear and bras scattered all over the floor. Yes, Ichigo would love that. Rukia was just glad her living room looked appropriate.

"This looks cozy." Ichigo stated. She said goodnight to him and began walking to her bedroom. Before Rukia even left the room he started undressing, removing his jacket and then the shirt following. Rukia felt disappointment when Ichigo stopped undressing at his wife beater undershirt. His arms were very tone, and just as Rukia had predicted, his back looked good, now only if he would take that silly undershirt off…

"Ah, Rukia-san, is everything alright?" Ichigo asked. Rukia snapped out of her little fantasy land.

"Yes, just making sure you have everything you need."

Rukia said her goodnights to him, and went into her bedroom. She was really tempted to squeal out loud, but settled with sighing deeply against her closed door.

"I kissed him." She whispered. It wasn't like she hadn't ever kissed him before, given the circumstances, but it really felt like a first kiss all over again, a kiss that she boldly took the step in doing. It was a very strange motion for her to do, as she wasn't any sort of outgoing person (minus whatever flowed through her mind the night of the ball) so she couldn't exactly pinpoint why she kissed him, even if it was very light.

She changed into her pajamas, and got ready for bed. It was strange knowing that Ichigo was in the other room, her living room, but something about it made her feel safe. Rukia had been lonely for a long time, and maybe Ichigo would be the one to break the spell. He was after all, her Prince Charming.

It was crazy how quickly Rukia fell asleep, and before she knew it, the sun was shining through her room. Realizing it was Sunday, Rukia glanced at her clock.

"Ten o'clock in the morning?" Rukia nearly cried. She jumped out of bed and hurried to the living room. What if Ichigo left? Was he uncomfortable in her apartment? Did he ever want to see her again?

Rukia stopped when she reached her couch, witnessing a still sleeping Ichigo. "I knew he was tired, that liar." Rukia muttered smiling. She sat on the side of the couch turned bed, and watched him sleep. It was an unusual thing to do, but she couldn't help it, and the feelings racing through her body.

Ichigo must have taken his wife beater shirt off after Rukia left, because she could see his very nice and bare chest. Rukia glanced from his shoulders, down his arms. She stopped when she saw a scar across his chest. It wasn't very big, but it bothered her. "What could have possibly caused that?" She thought.

Slowly and carefully, Rukia moved a hand closer to his chest. She had the sudden urge to touch the scar, hoping Ichigo was a very deep sleeper. To her luck, he was. Ichigo didn't even flinch or anything as Rukia's hand strummed his scar. His skin was yet again soft, just like his hands. She knew she was blushing for having such physical contact with the sleeping man, and pulled her hand away. Rukia didn't want to molest the poor guy after all.

She made her way to the kitchen, pouring some of her strawberry lemonade into her cup. Rukia figured Ichigo would want some coffee when he would wake up, if he ever would, and turned her coffee maker on. She ate a little late breakfast and hopped in the shower. The water felt good and helped her relax. She wasn't all that tense to begin with, but the water worked what ever magic it needed to do.

After putting her robe on, Rukia stepped out of the bathroom. She felt embarrassed when she saw Ichigo standing her kitchen, no shirt on, with a cup of coffee in his hands.

"I hope it's ok that I used this." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia only nodded, not knowing for sure if she could speak or not. She after all, had a towel wrapped in her hair with only a robe to cover up her naked body, and was staring at Ichigo's gorgeous and very in shape upper body.

"Don't worry about it." She replied once her strange laughter stopped. Ichigo smirked at her. He set his coffee mug down following, grabbed his clothes, and went to the restroom. Rukia took the towel out of her hair, looking for a brush. She combed the tangles out of her wet hair and put some comfortable clothes on.

Ichigo emerged from the restroom ten minutes later, groomed as best as he could since he didn't have clothes to change into or anything, and went back to his coffee.

"I didn't think I would sleep so late." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia rolled her eyes, getting some food out of her fridge.

"I warned you that getting punched by Grimmjow would really knock you out. I mean, one time I was in bed for a whole day because —"

"So he did hit you then, and a lot apparently." Ichigo muttered, staring at Rukia hard. She averted her eyes to the ground. She hadn't meant to bring up Grimmjow hitting her, but it just sort of slipped. Ichigo looked angry, and his tough gaze on Rukia wouldn't drop.

"It's ok."

"No Rukia-san, it's not ok. He could have hurt you again last night. It looked like he was going to in fact."

"If Grimmjow hadn't been drinking then he would have left me alone. He knows that I don't take any bull, but he was drunk at the moment."

"I think what you're sayin is bull." Ichigo stated. Rukia was now staring back at Ichigo just as deeply as he was. He didn't know anything about her situation. He didn't understand.

"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm sorry you got punched in the face by a guy I never wanted to see again, and I hope my home was comfortable for you."

"Yah, it was, thanks." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia sighed and walked into her living room. He scratched his head, staring down at his keys.

"I guess I should go home now. Thanks for letting me stay here, and you're right, he punched extremely hard. I've gotten punched lots of times and I've never once gotten close to passing out, so it must have been hard for you to take the punches he threw."

Rukia turned her head to look at him, smiling. "Don't worry about it. Anyways, I guess I'll see you at work tomorrow."

She stood from the couch to open the front door. Ichigo walked next to her, jacket in hands. "You're nose isn't swollen at all anymore. That bar tender was right. Does you're stomach feel alright?" Rukia mumbled.

Ichigo nodded. "It's fine. I was more worried about my head more than anything, but I guess I'm ok." He smiled at her and stepped outside the doorway.

"See you bright and early tomorrow." Ichigo said, and waved goodbye to her.

She waved back and turned around, a grin set firmly on her lips. "Oh wait Rukia." Ichigo called out. She whirled around again, stepping out of her doorway a little bit.

"Next time let's go somewhere more seclude alright?" Ichigo asked.

"Next time?"

Ichigo scratched his head looking down at the ground. "Well, you know, when we go on a date again…" He mumbled.

Rukia smiled, almost wanting to laugh at how nervous Ichigo became. He really didn't know how to act around women.

"Ok." She replied, and waved goodbye to him for the second time. Rukia closed the door behind her, noticing a few things.

One, Ichigo didn't use an honorific when he said her name, which gave her this idea that they were getting closer. Two, she was going on yet another date with him that he had offered. And three, Rukia was pretty sure she was falling for the guy.

Hard.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N:** AWW!! I'm sorry, but I personally liked the little kiss scene! Did you guys? I don't give a hoot either if it was OOC for Rukia ! I also liked when Rukia made the final act in breaking a beer bottle over Grimmjow's head, it kind of shows how much she hates him! Anyways, did you like the little fight /Ichigo almost passing out scene? I know Ichigo's pretty tough, but I wanted to create the whole "Ichigo comes to stay at Rukia's apartment" scenario, so I hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for all the reviews!! I LOVE YOU!!

PS: I know I've been updating like crazy, but I want to get this out of my system so I can move on and finish other stories (people are kind of hating me right now because of it, and that needs to end). I haven't finished writing this story yet, but I'm thinking about 25-26 chapters, so we still got a little while. And there might be a sequel, but I don't now yet. You tell me!!


	19. Ch18: The Final Confrontation

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I took out the summary because I figure you guys know the plot by now 

Ok ok, I have to tell you guys. I was listening to a radio station this morning, and people were calling in and telling "office drama" stories!! I was like "Hey, I should call in and say what's going on in my story!!" Lol. Sorry, it just kind of made my morning…Anyways, wow, Ch.18, can you believe it?? I can't, its crazy! There lots of romance, drama, arguing (LOTS of arguing), and other good stuff to come, so get ready!!!

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.18 The Final Confrontation**

Rukia wanted to talk to Hinamori, she needed to, was dying to say something to what she now considered a best friend. She even left for her office a little earlier on Monday morning than usual in the hopes that she could have enough time to really talk to Hinamori.

Unfortunately, there wasn't any sign of Hinamori. Rukia was really disappointed. She wanted to tell Hinamori everything in great detail, she needed to spill. "I'll have to wait until later." Rukia thought. She had fifteen minutes to do absolutely nothing, which kind of bugged her.

So, after groaning, Rukia made her way to her office.

"Oi Rukia!" She heard Renji call from behind. Rukia turned around to greet him.

"Good morning Renji." Rukia said, smiling. He grinned a little back, looking frustrated. "How was your weekend?" He asked in a strange tone.

"It was pretty good. Just did a little of this and that." Rukia replied. Renji nodded with a strange smirk on his face.

"So, did you enjoy the concert Saturday night?" Renji suddenly asked.

Rukia froze. "What? How did you know?"

"How did I know? I told you I had a season pass to all the concerts, so naturally I went, and then it just so happened that I spotted you with your boss you hate so much, Kurosaki Ichigo."

Rukia opened her mouth to talk, but was stumped.

"Why Rukia? I just, I don't understand." Renji muttered.

"Look Renji, a lot of things have happened in the past few weeks."

"But I thought you hated him Rukia, and then I see you two walking close, holding hands even."

"So what? Maybe I do like Ichigo-san. I know he kind of came off as a jerk but he's really a good guy." Rukia replied.

Renji sighed. "_Ichigo_-san huh? It just kind of pisses me off that he can treat you like crap, and then you can all of the sudden go out with him."

Rukia frowned. She hadn't told Renji about Ichigo, and she didn't want to. How could she anyways? Renji had been avoiding her a lot because of the little "incident" after the dinner party. She probably wouldn't explain it to him anyways.

"You know what Renji? It's none of your business. You're a good friend to me, but if you're going to be a jerk like you are right now, then I have no reason to talk to you."

She started walking away, but froze at Renji's next words.

"You've changed Rukia, you really have, and it's not for the better."

"Stop being jealous Renji." Rukia snapped back.

"I'm not jealous Rukia, I'm just angry you aren't opening your eyes to the bigger picture."

Rukia wanted to turn around so badly and slap him. She knew he was jealous. It was clearly written on his forehead, and so he used anger and cruelty to lash out his feelings, which was why she didn't slap him.

She walked away from him without breathing out another word. Rukia wasn't an idiot. She knew what Renji meant by seeing the "bigger picture". Corporations tended to have an unwritten rule where employees could sleep around with each other, and it would never be a big deal, which was what Renji apparently had in mind.

He hadn't slept with her. Ichigo could have easily attempted to Saturday night when they were alone in her apartment, but he didn't. Rukia wouldn't have slept with him if he had tried, but either way, Ichigo talked to her, and even wanted to play some games.

Hopefully not any erotic games…

She chuckled to herself. It seemed like a pretty out there idea for Ichigo to try to slyly get Rukia in his pants, especially when Ichigo didn't really know how to act in front of women in the first place. He couldn't even ask her out on a date with out fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. She found it cute in a strange and manly way.

Rukia had five minutes left before her day would start, so she finally made her way to her office. She hadn't been there the entire time. Rukia figured Hinamori wouldn't come in until a little later, remembering that Rukia got to the office earlier than a lot of people.

Not even thirty seconds of being in her office, the handle to her office began to turn, and Ichigo emerged, smiling. There was something about him that gave her a warm comforting feeling, like seeing him made everything better.

"Hey, today's going to be hectic, and you're going to have to stay in my office all day today to help with filing."

Rukia nodded her head, and after Ichigo signaled for them to leave, Rukia followed him to his office. She was glad she would be by him all day. Many things had occurred over the weekend, and she hoped she wouldn't scare Ichigo away. He passed phase one, which became "put up a fight with ex-boyfriend" even though it was more of a punch and pass out type deal. What would be phase two?

They reached his office in no time. Ichigo pointed at a stack of paperwork for Rukia to do, and the work began. It was like every other day at Seireitei Inc., but Rukia liked it, because she was by Ichigo. Lunch time came by pretty quickly, and Rukia decided to eat with Ichigo since she still hadn't seen any sign of Hinamori. Perhaps she just hadn't gone to work that day.

"Does your head and nose still hurt?" Rukia asked, taking a bite into her sandwich.

"No, it's all better now."

"You don't have to act like such a tough guy. There's no way you're nose can feel better. I can see a bruise from where you were punched."

Ichigo sighed. "I took some Advil this morning to help, so I can barely feel it."

"Advil is not going to do much good, you need something stronger." Rukia replied, setting the file in her hands on the desk.

"Advil works great for me, as its working right now, so don't worry about it."

"I can't help but worry about it when I can see the evidence of the punch. Did you make it home ok yesterday?" Rukia asked, trying to sound caring.

"Yah, I was fine. Why?"

Rukia shrugged her shoulders. "Just making sure."

Ichigo frowned. "Well I did have to scoot the seat to my car back a lot. I could barely get in."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm not that tall."

"No, you aren't."

Rukia could feel a vein popping out of her head. "I know I'm short, no need to go off about it."

"Is your sister the same height as you?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, I told you she's my identical twin." Rukia replied. Ichigo finished his food in a little over five minutes, leaving Rukia with her not even half way sandwich.

"Wow, so there are actually _two_ people on the planet that are that short?"

If Rukia were closer, she would have probably punched his nose again, causing it to break.

"Is Yamamoto's planning period almost done?" Rukia asked. Ichigo shook his head, sighing.

"It's been really slow this month for some reason, and I have a feeling it might extend into April. If that's the case then we might be in a bind, which would suck."

Rukia frowned. "Well let's hope not. We're already stressed out as it is."

"I see you have your lemonade whatever again." Ichigo mumbled, staring at Rukia's drink. Rukia smirked.

"I told you I liked the stuff. You should have tried some Sunday morning."

"I still can't believe I slept for so long."

"Do I need to explain it all again?" Rukia asked crossing her arms.

"No you don't. You've explained it plenty of times. You done eating yet?" He asked in an almost annoyed voice. Rukia glanced down at her sandwich.

"I'm almost done, and we still have a good fifteen minutes to go on our lunch break, so why are you rushing me?" Rukia asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"The more time we waste, the slower things are gonna get done, and besides," Ichigo paused, smirking at Rukia. "I want to show you somethin."

Rukia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you want to show me something? We're at work, so what could spark an interest for me to go look while we're here?" Ichigo shook his head.

"If you would hurry up and eat then maybe I would show you." He replied, glancing down at his watch. So, Rukia wolfed down her sandwich, extremely curious to what Ichigo had to show her. He was good at throwing surprises at her she supposed.

She finished pretty quickly, and threw her trash away. "Now, where do we need to go for this?" Rukia asked.

"It's not in here. It's not at this building actually." He mumbled, looking around his office.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Rukia c'mon, let's go."

She followed him out the office. Rukia was confused when they reached the outside of the building, stopping on the sidewalk outside the entrance.

"Ok, well I really don't have anything to show you. I was just trying to get you out here to see if you wanted to play hooky." He said, chuckling.

"You want to play hooky? You don't seem like the type to play hooky."

"Neither do you, so how about it? I doubt anyone would suspect it, and if they did, I don't really care."

Rukia felt his forehead. "I think you might have hit your head a little harder than I thought." She mumbled. Ichigo smacked her hand away.

"I'm just fine. Look, I don't ever do this, you're right, which is why I want to do it now."

"But today is so busy." Rukia reminded him. Ichigo shook his head.

"We're going to have to stay after work anyways to finish up on Friday, so why not take some time to go do something fun."

Rukia sighed. Ichigo could be fairly strange at times, but skipping work didn't sound half bad…

"Alright, so say we did skip work, where would we go?"

Ichigo looked around the streets at various places. "Would you want to eat?" 

"We just ate lunch."

"We could get ice cream or something…" 

"I'm not hungry at all."

"How about the theme park?"

"Are you _serious_?"

Ichigo sighed. "Look, I'm your boss, and I'm telling you right now to stop being so stingy and help me out here."

"I never even agreed on playing hooky, I said _if_."

"Ok, well IF there was anywhere you wanted to go, where would it be?"

Rukia looked around. In all honesty, nothing sounded fun. There were lots of eating destinations, and then one stupid arcade. She really didn't like video games all that much. An idea struck Rukia, but she didn't know if Ichigo would be up for it.

"I have an idea." Rukia stated, smiling slyly. Ichigo eyed her, sticking his hands in his pockets. "What?" He asked.

"You've been to my apartment, so how about you show me yours?"

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. "You want to see my house? Are you sure about that?"

Rukia nodded. "Why not? I mean, you slept at my apartment, so I don't see a problem with going and visiting yours."

Ichigo looked down at the ground, appearing to be debating Rukia's idea. He stayed like that for who knows how long and finally looked at Rukia.

"You're sure that's what you really want? My house is kind of boring…" He mumbled.

"Weren't you the one complaining my apartment was boring because I didn't have board games?"

Ichigo grabbed his keys from his pocket. "Alright fine, but only for a little while." Rukia smiled with delight. She didn't know why, but she was anxious to see where he lived. What would his house be like? Would it be messy and cluttered like his office? Or clean and nice?

She didn't know for sure, but she was going to find out soon.

They hopped into his trail blazer and left Seireitei Inc. Rukia felt a little nervous, hoping no one would notice they left. Ichigo looked calmer than ever, turning up his music loudly. It was a band Rukia recognized.

"This is Senbonzakura isn't it?" Rukia asked, listening to the music.

"Yep, it is. I actually knew which cd it was for once." He mumbled. It didn't take long to get to Ichigo's home, and Rukia was surprised to see a house.

"I figured you would have lived in an apartment." Rukia mumbled. The house wasn't very big or fancy, but something about it looked cozy. When Rukia followed Ichigo to the inside, she was quite surprised.

The interior of his house was overall very nice. Nothing over the top, like curtains to match all the furniture, or a fancy plant thrown into a corner, but clean and well organized. All in all, Rukia liked it. Ichigo set his keys and jacket down by the coat rack, and Rukia continued to peak her head in each room.

"You have pretty good taste for a guy living on his own." Rukia said, following Ichigo into the living room.

"I had some help. My sister Yuzu loves designing and stuff, so I let her do what she wanted."

Rukia smiled. Ichigo looked very comfortable in his house, which made sense she supposed. He was slumped into a rather cozy looking chair, head leaning back.

"How many rooms are in this house anyways?" She asked.

"Three." He replied. His eyes were now closed. Rukia stared at his sitting form. Taking a nap did sound good at the moment, but observing Ichigo was even better. There was something about the way he held himself, the way he moved, the way he breathed, that made Rukia want to be around him more, and just stare at him. She never got sick of looking at Ichigo, and she hoped it wasn't too unhealthy.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Ichigo asked, sitting up in his seat a little bit. Rukia shook her head. She wasn't hungry or thirsty.

"I must say I'm still surprised you received a little bruise from the punch Grimmjow threw at you." Rukia added, relaxing into Ichigo's couch.

"I told you I used to take a lot of punches when I was younger, so it's not a big deal."

"Did you used to get into fights or something?" Rukia asked, curious. Ichigo set up, leaning his hand against the arm of his chair. "Yah, but I never started them. A lot of people always tried to get into fights with me in high school because of my hair color, so I took a few punches here and there. After a while I sort of got used to it."

Rukia looked down. It was strange to think of Ichigo as once a high school student, though he acted that way around girls… But it seemed kind of ridiculous for people to beat up on him because of his hair color.

"That's stupid. I can't believe people were like that." Rukia muttered, sitting up straight and tall.

"Yah, well high school was a little rough for me. My parents were gone a lot because of my dad's job, and they usually took my sisters with them. I was old enough so I stayed at home. It wasn't too bad, and I got pretty good at the punching myself." 

"I would imagine so. I guess you really are a tough guy then, unless you're just lying to me and trying to impress me because of what happened Saturday night."

"Trust me, I'm not." Ichigo said. There wasn't any humor in his voice, and Rukia hoped she wasn't offending him. She knew he wasn't lying. Rukia remembered Ichigo's own fist hitting Grimmjow in the face, and it was surely going to leave a nice mark.

"Did you have it rough growing up?" Rukia asked.

"Minus getting smacked up a lot, it was pretty good. My dad is crazy, and always has been, but if I needed to, I could go to my mom. She was the peacemaker in our chaotic family."

Rukia smiled. It was probably hard to talk about her, considering she passed away.

"She died right before my last year of college, and I almost didn't finish. That's when my dad gave me her ring, saying I needed it more than him." Ichigo said softly. Rukia could tell it wasn't to anyone specific, but just words of the past, haunting words.

"I'm sorry Ichigo." She replied, not even noticing how she said his name. Ichigo looked at her, a small sadness in his eyes. "Don't worry about it. It's been a little rough with getting used to the changes, but I've survived so far." He replied, smiling at her weakly. Ichigo stood from his couch.

They walked into his kitchen, and Ichigo pulled out a soda. "I know you said you didn't want anything, but I do."

Rukia looked around his kitchen. There were several dishes in his sink, but other than that, the kitchen was pretty clean, probably cleaner than hers.

"How can you have such a clean house but then have a messy work office?" Rukia asked.

"My house isn't very hard to keep clean since I don't have so much stuff. It's different where you have tons and tons of files, and no room to put it."

Rukia laughed lightly. "So are we going back to work today?" She asked. Ichigo shook his head.

"No, I really don't want to go back today. It's been so busy lately, I'm sick of it."

"I always thought you were on top of things." Rukia muttered.

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I usually am, but it's hard right now at this time of year, harder than usual at least." He frowned and set his drink on the counter.

"It does seem very hectic, but I haven't noticed it too much." The sole reason she didn't mind the work being Ichigo, and how much time she spent with him. Here she was now, at his house during work hours. Would anyone notice? She really hoped not. Sooner or later people were just going to have to accept that she and Ichigo were—

Wait, what were they?

She suddenly wanted to ask him. She needed to know. Did he see her as his girlfriend or just a fun love interest? How could she even say it? Would it be too soon to ask? It wasn't like they had gone out a whole lot, but she had kissed him (even if he was out of it) and then he stayed at her house. She naturally felt like even though it had only been a little while, that they'd passed the "scoping out" stage. There was no doubt in Rukia's mind to proclaiming Ichigo as hers, but what about him? She knew Ichigo liked her, but to what degree?

"Um, Ichigo-san?" Rukia asked. She sounded nervous, which already off the bat was throwing off her needed cool composure.

"Yah?" He asked, looking at her in a curious way. Maybe she shouldn't ask at all. Some relationships didn't need to be announced, whether the two just knew because of what they had experienced. Something in her gut told her to go ahead and ask, and get it out of the way. It wasn't like she suddenly wondered, because it had been on her mind for the past few weeks. What better time than now?

"Look, you know, these past few weeks, I've really gotten to know you and I don't know, I was just wondering…" She paused, and she could feel Ichigo's stare on her.

"If you knew what we would be doing for our next date?" She finished. Ichigo dropped the deep stare, and turned away, glancing at his drink.

"Oh I'm not sure actually. Do you have anything in mind?"

Rukia shook her head, still very nervous, even though she ended up not asking him the question.

"Well we don't need to worry about it right now, and besides, I kind of see this as a date."

Rukia frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "Just because you and I, a man and a woman, are alone at a house together does not mean we are on a date." Rukia replied.

"Well I did ask you to play hooky with me, and if we had decided to go somewhere else other than a person's house, then it would have been an actual date, but you were the one who wanted to come to my house. Why did you want to come here anyways?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia furrowed her eyebrow, moving closer to Ichigo. He was starting to bug her like he tended to do. "Why? I don't know. I was just curious is all! There wasn't any where in particular that I wanted to go, and you've already seen my apartment!"

"Well you're apartment was closer. We could have easily walked there and hung out. Instead I had to drive all the way here."

"You drive to work every day so I don't see the problem!"

Ichigo took a big step towards Rukia. "Why did you let me kiss you at the ball?" He suddenly asked. Rukia felt anger boiling inside, and she clenched her hands into fists.

"What kind of out of the blue question is that?" Rukia snapped back.

"Just answer the question!"

"You know what? I really don't know! I must have been very drunk to kiss you, and to have gone on all these dates with you!"

"Well you weren't drunk Saturday night and you kissed me, so why did you do that?"

Rukia stood on her tip toes, glaring at Ichigo dangerously. He really knew how to get her ticking. "I don't know the reason for that either! It makes me so mad! How you can be kind to me, and then I can fall for you the way I am right now!"

"I must be out of my mind here too to ask you out! You're short, you're rude, and you like strawberries too much!"

"Oh really? Well you listen to strange music, you scowl too much, AND you don't know how to keep your office properly organized!"

"Sorry but we can't all be perfectionists!"

"Anything _else_?!" Rukia shouted back. Ichigo growled.

"Just one more thing! When we go out again you better not dress the way you did because I don't want to be fighting off men to keep them away from you!"

Rukia didn't get to reply as Ichigo's lips crashed effortlessly onto hers. She barely had time to think or register what was occurring, and when she did, she pulled her arms around his neck, pushing his head further onto her lips. Ichigo wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. His lips moved softly along Rukia's, but held hint of passion and deepness that she couldn't quite point out. Overall, it was almost identical to the kiss at the ball, except ten times better.

After what felt like eternity, Ichigo pulled away, his nose touching Rukia's. "Is that all?" Rukia whispered, her breath a little shaken up.

"No." He replied, and connected his lips to hers again. It was ridiculous how they could be talking, get into some stupid argument, and suddenly want to devour each other. Would it always be like that?

It was safe to say that Rukia's first question was answered. Ichigo must have seen her as something more than a mere love interest because there was no way a guy like him would be kissing her in such a way, and giving her the greatest feeling inside.

It was also safe to say that her feelings were deepening too. The little crush Rukia had developed for Ichigo was turning into something deeper.

She was falling in love with him.

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A/N: And so, the immature arguing begins, hence the title. Wow, he kissed her! I totally wanted that to happen too, with them arguing and everything, so yay!! Hopefully the arguing wasn't too random… I love how Ichigo and Rukia can talk about anything, and end up arguing, it's the cutest thing in the world! Hope you guys liked it, because I liked writing it. Its fun to write about kiss scenes, there's just so many different scenarios you can do, so I love it!! And what the heck is up with Renji? Isn't he supposed to be a nice guy? Maybe he's just looking out for his friend…hmm…

ANYWAYS, please review like you always do, or more if you want, I TOTALLY don't mind!! I love you guys so much you don't even know!!


	20. Ch19: Suspicious

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I took out the summary because I figure you guys know the plot by now 

Ok guys Ch.19, and the romance is building right? I mean after Ichigo kissed her like that we should hope so!! The past few chapters have been fluff fluff fluff, but now we have to get back to Seireitei Inc. and the total other drama happening there… OH, and just to let you know, I'm not updating until probably next Wednesday or Thursday.

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.19 Suspicious**

It wasn't until seven o'clock in the evening that Rukia finally left Ichigo's house Monday night, and it was for good cause. After their little make out session in the kitchen, they ended up back in Ichigo's living room, talking for hours on end for the rest of the day.

_-Flashback-_

_Ichigo and Rukia were sitting on his couch, Rukia leaning up against him. She was a little nervous, but not as nervous as Ichigo appeared. His body was tense against hers._

"_You ok?" Rukia asked. She didn't want to embarrass him. Rukia was well aware of Ichigo's nervousness around women, or maybe it was just her…_

"_Yah, just fine." He replied quickly. Rukia couldn't help but chuckle. It was cute seeing Ichigo so flustered. _

"_Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Rukia asked playfully, realizing what she had just admitted out loud. She didn't care after all, because she had decided herself the two were dating._

"_Yah, I've had a girlfriend before." Ichigo replied. She couldn't help but notice the once and only "had", as if he only dated one girl ever. Rukia did remember Ichigo's father saying that Ichigo never dated, but then again, Isshin had been trying to embarrass Ichigo, right?_

"_What were they like?" Rukia asked. She knew it was an extremely stupid question, but it was worth seeing Ichigo's reaction._

"_Well, I, um, it was high school, and I dated my best friend for a few weeks."_

_Rukia stopped him. "Wait, so you've only dated one person? And it was in high school?" _

_Ichigo nodded. "I dated here and there in college, but nothing ever serious. All the girls I knew in college drank all the time anyways…"_

_Rukia laughed. She just couldn't help herself. Rukia wanted to ask him why he hadn't tried dating after college, but was glad he hadn't, otherwise she might not be sitting in his living room with him. _

"_What about you? The only person I've heard about is Grimmjow. Please tell me you've dated someone better than him." Ichigo muttered. Rukia looked away. There was another guy she dated, but he hurt her even worse than Grimmjow._

"_Just one serious boyfriend my freshman year of college. His name was Kaien. We were going to get married, but he cheated on me with my at the time best friend."_

_The room was silent, and Rukia knew she sounded too upset. Rukia tried her best to block out any images of Kaien. She would never forget walking into his apartment, finding Kaien and Miyako in bed together, naked. _

_Ichigo placed Rukia's hand in his, entwining his fingers with hers. She looked up at him to see his eyes averted to the ground. Ichigo could be sensitive and understanding at times, in a nonverbal like way. _

"_It happened a long time ago, I was only nineteen." She said in a soft voice._

"_Well it's a good thing you didn't marry him then. Imagine if you hadn't seen them together, and you married him." Ichigo said bitterly. He sounded almost angry to hear Rukia's words._

"_So there you go, two relations that were crap. The first guy cheated on me, and the second guy hit me, and probably cheated on me too."_

"_Third time's a charm." Ichigo said humorously. Rukia chuckled and leaned back on him, noticing he was much more relaxed than before._

_-End Flashback-_

Rukia learned some very interesting things…

First of all, Rukia now had her answer as to why Ichigo was so shy and nervous around her. He had never really had a girlfriend. She didn't see how someone as attractive as him couldn't get a girl, unless he always acted like the jerk he used to be. And then another thing, why her? Why was Ichigo suddenly opening up to her of all people? Rukia literally thought he hated her at first, but now, she was his girlfriend? Just how much did Ichigo like Rukia? Was it because of the ball that felt like so long ago, when it was only in fact a mere three months? What was it about her that gave Ichigo confidence?

She also learned more about his mother's death, and how it affected him. Ichigo probably didn't have an interest in dating or doing much after his mom died, which was why he never dated after college. Again, the question popped up. Of all the girls in the world, why did Ichigo's light bulb turn on when he looked at her? She thought of herself as an ordinary, flat-chested, curvless woman, so what on Earth did he see? Maybe Rukia was wrong about herself, maybe she did have more curves than she thought. She did get complimented on her legs a few times…

Spending the day with Ichigo ended up being the best Monday, or any day, that Rukia had ever encountered. Sadly, it was Tuesday morning, and she knew that playing hooky with Ichigo would probably be a rare thing, if not already a one time occasion. She hoped she could visit his house again.

Rukia didn't stop the grin that lit up her face as she walked down the long hallways of Seireitei Inc. It was becoming a normal thing for her to smile, and as usual, people looked at her oddly. What about other people? Didn't they notice Hinamori and Aizen, the main boss and a co-worker, going on dates? Did they whisper about them too? Maybe Rukia just didn't notice because of her own problems. Thinking about Hinamori suddenly, she wanted to talk to the girl. She never got a chance to from the day before, and she hoped Hinamori would be there that day.

Rukia decided to put her things in her office before she went on her quest for Hinamori, and opened the door to her office. Hinamori was already in there, head down on Rukia's desk.

"H-Hinamori-san?" Rukia asked. She heard a sob escape Hinamori's mouth. Was she crying? Rukia dropped her purse and walked over to Hinamori. 

"Oh Rukia-san! It's just awful!" Hinamori cried, finally lifting her head. Concerned for her friend, Rukia pulled a seat down to sit next to her.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asked in a soft and caring voice.

"It's Aizen-san! He's such a jerk!" Hinamori replied. Rukia shushed the girl (because Hinamori was practically shouting) and patted her back.

"What do you mean by that? Aizen-san has always been nice here at work."

Hinamori shook her head. "I don't know, but I think it might be an act." Hinamori wiped another tear from her eye, and looked at Rukia.

"Rukia-san, he's _married_."

Rukia's eyes widened. "_Married?_ To who? I've never heard a word of Aizen-san having a wife? How do you know?"

"I think her name was Unohana or something, but I met her when we went out on Sunday night! He introduced her to me, right in front of me, saying she was his wife! I glanced down at her wedding finger, and sure enough, there was a huge diamond ring, a ring that only the wealthy could afford. He introduced me as a co-worker at Seireitei Inc.! Can you believe it? Right in front of me! Like I was nothing!"

"Well you said you'd only gone out casually, so it's not all that bad —"

Hinamori suddenly looked guilty, shaking her head. "No Rukia-san, I'm afraid it's a little deeper than that…"

"Wait, you mean to tell me that you —"

"Yes I know! I slept with him! I'm such a slut!" Hinamori shrieked, more tears coming down her cheeks.

Rukia shook her head. "What? I mean, I thought you went out with him on Saturday night? So how did you meet his wife if you —"

"I slept with him Saturday night, and he asked me to go out with him again Sunday night."

"Hinamori-san! You _slept_ with him?"

"I drank way too much on Saturday night, and well, one thing led to another! I started liking Aizen-san even more, and so, I agreed to go out with him Sunday night." Hinamori mumbled, frowning ever so deeply.

"It's not that bad Hinamori-san, especially if you were drinking." Rukia said in a comforting way, knowing good and well if that happened to Rukia she would probably freak out worse than Hinamori.

"Even if I hadn't slept with him, I went on dates with him, and they weren't casual business outings, they were real dates!"

Hinamori dropped her head back onto the table, crying more. Rukia patted her back more.

"I don't know what to do. I'm such a mess right now!" Hinamori choked.

"Just take the day off Hinamori-san."

"That's why I wasn't here yesterday Rukia-san! I know I can't miss so much work because of some stupid guy, so I took off yesterday to get a good breathe. So, thinking yesterday was enough, I came to work, only to start crying the moment I walked inside. Your office was close so I just came in!"

"I'm sorry Hinamori-san, I really am. It was a mean thing for him to do, and if you were beginning to like him a lot, then it's ok for you to feel this way. I know how you feel Hinamori-san, because I've personally experienced it, but you'll move on, I promise." Rukia did know she could move on, because she was currently very happy herself.

Hinamori sat up again. "I hope so, and I really don't want to work right now."

Rukia laughed a little, trying to cheer Hinamori up a little. She had never seen Hinamori so upset, and it bothered her. And what about her boss Aizen? He was always so kind to her…

"Do you have a lot of sick days left?" Rukia asked.

"About eight." Hinamori replied. Rukia smiled.

"Yah, you'll be fine. Go and do something fun. Go to the hair salon, get your nails done, go shoe shopping. It helps sometimes." Rukia stated, trying to help Hinamori out.

Hinamori stood from Rukia's desk. "I'm sorry Rukia-san. I know I'm such a horrible person for sleeping with him." She mumbled.

"Hinamori-san, don't worry so much."

Rukia walked Hinamori to her door. "Anyways, thanks for listening to me. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Hinamori stated.

"Yah, I'll see you bright and early." Rukia replied. She closed the door for Hinamori and turned around slowly. Rukia felt an uncomfortable feeling inside. It seemed awful strange for Aizen, or any man really, to go out with a person knowing good and well what could happen, and then introduce that person to the man's wife casually. What kind of person was her boss exactly? She always found it a little strange that he told Rukia all of that stuff about Ichigo when she was going to quit, but she assumed it was out of kindness.

Ichigo barged into her office seconds later, nearly scaring the daylights out of her.

"Hey, I forgot to tell you yesterday but there's a meeting this morning. Aizen has something big to announce."

Rukia stood from her desk. "Do you know what it's about? We have a lot of work to catch up on. Since we decided to skip yesterday, could we just skip the meeting?"

Ichigo smirked. "Just because we slacked off yesterday doesn't mean we can start slacking off any time we want, and since I usually stand next to Aizen at every meeting, then no, I can't miss."

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets. "We better get going, otherwise we'll be late." Ichigo mumbled.

"You know there are rumors flying around about us right?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo looked at her confused, but shrugged his shoulders. "So what, it's a corporation, and people like to get creative when they're bored." He replied. Rukia laughed, and stood from her desk, getting ready to walk with Ichigo to the meeting.

She was curious as to what Aizen would say, and how she would react to seeing him. It really bugged her to see Hinamori so upset that morning, especially after only a few days, and she hoped Hinamori wasn't too head over heels for the strange man.

The meeting was filled with people, and Rukia was forced to stand alone. Ichigo had to stay by Aizen, Hinamori wasn't there, Renji wasn't really talking to her, and she didn't like Inoue very much, though she didn't have to worry about her butting in the way anymore. Maybe she could give Inoue another chance.

It didn't matter since Inoue was no where in sight, so Rukia took an empty seat on the right side, not sitting next to anyone.

Rukia watched Aizen's every move, suddenly judging him. Why did he smile so much if it wasn't out of pure kindness? It kind of scared her in a way, knowing he could be so manipulative to people. She froze when Ichimaru Gin stepped into the room, along with a very nervous looking Matsumoto Rangiku. Matsumoto stood next to Ichigo, and Aizen finally addressed them.

"Everyone, we have a huge announcement to make."

Rukia's attention turned back to Aizen, wondering what the man would say. He never had "huge" news after all.

"Yamamoto-san has been ill for the past few weeks, and it looks like his health isn't going to get better soon, so, the idea has been given a lot of thought, and it has been decided that for the time being, Ichimaru Gin and I will have full power of the entire corporation."

The crowd quickly whispered and murmured to one another. Rukia, not being able to sit well with the information she was just given, glanced at Ichigo.

He looked pissed.

His arms were crossed tightly against his chest, and his eyes looked hard. Even from where Rukia sat she could see them.

"I know this is very sudden and abrupt news, but it's been decided. Now, since Ichimaru and I will be giving the orders, we want to tell you of the changes that will be taking place."

He paused again, waiting for everyone to settle down, and continued to speak.

"The planning period has taken a new effect, and Yamamoto-san desires these changes. People will be moved around. Yamamoto-san has been doing some debating and observing, and feels certain people should have different positions to better project our corporation. Some will stay at our building while others will be moved to Ichimaru's. Do not be surprised if you also receive a new job promotion, or demotion. We will try to tell you as soon as we can of the change, so please bear with us. We know how hectic things are going to become since it's the middle of the planning period, so if you have any problems, do not hesitate to tell us. We want you to feel as comfortable as possible when you are here. Does anyone have any questions?"

"Yes?" Aizen asked after pointing at whoever raised their hand. Rukia turned her head to see Renji's hand up in the air, staring right back at Aizen.

"Isn't it a little sudden to be changing a person's job title?" Renji asked. Other people nodded along with him. Rukia turned her head back to Aizen.

"You're right, this is a very sudden shift from what has been happening, but Yamamoto-san does not want this to hold off on this at any costs. It was impossible to say anything sooner, as Yamamoto-san kept fluctuating with his decisions, but he has finally decided, and has left it to us to decide who moves where."

Too much had been said in the last three minutes. People were going to possibly get new job positions? She was so confused, and the way Aizen worded everything made it sound like a lot of people would be moved around, but why? Were they getting new employees? If, so, were they going to lay off older employees? The whole thing sounded extremely fishy. It didn't sound right for Yamamoto to want to make a bunch of sudden changes, especially if he was quote on quote sick.

Rukia averted her eyes back to the front of the room, and wished she hadn't. Ichimaru Gin was staring right at her, snake like grin turned on her. How could someone frighten another so easily? It really scared her…

The meeting ended following, and people walked out talking and whispering to each other. Rukia was one of the last few to leave, and she stopped when a hand fell upon her shoulder.

She turned around to see Aizen standing behind her. "Rukia-san, how are you?" He asked.

Rukia half smiled. "Good." She replied.

"Listen," Aizen began. "It hasn't been finalized yet or anything, but I'm thinking of moving you to the other building in the next month or so, do you think you would feel comfortable with that?" He asked.

She just couldn't believe that the man in front of her, the man speaking so kindly to her, sounding so understanding and caring, could be so cruel and heartless the way he was to Hinamori.

"Um, sure." Rukia replied. It was a very casual answer, but so many thoughts were occurring in her mind, and Aizen didn't seem bothered by it anyways.

"Great, well I'll let you know when I figure out more details." Aizen told her, smiling happily. Rukia nodded at the man, and turned around to leave.

Her fear had come true. She remembered wanting to work at the other building because of how kind everyone acted, but now she wanted to stay at the one she currently was at. Rukia liked, no loved her job, and just when she thought she would be happy for a long time, something had to change it all.

Rukia walked to her office with a little gloom. "It's not official yet anyways…" She mumbled, sinking into her seat. Depression swept over Rukia, and she placed her head on her desk, closing her eyes. Rukia was ecstatic when she first came into work, and just fifteen minutes later, she was extremely sad, not wanting to work at all.

"Why couldn't we have played hooky today?" Rukia thought.

She heard a knock at the door, and assuming it was Ichigo, yelled for the person to come inside.

"So what did you think of the meeting?" She asked.

"Um, horrible."

Rukia looked up, recognizing the voice. Renji was standing in her office, looking calm. She smiled at him, glad to see his attempt to talk to her.

"How are you?" Rukia asked. It was a dumb question because just about everyone was probably ticked off about the changes that would be taking place.

"Fine I guess, but I haven't talked to you in a while, so I thought I'd try to spark up a conversation." 

Rukia chuckled, glad to see her old Renji back. She didn't like the one that avoided her, and tried to warn her of things she already knew about. It felt like the past few weeks with him had been a little shaky, so it would good to hear his voice again.

"Yah well, I'm glad you did, because I missed talking to you." Rukia replied kindly. Renji was all in all one of her best friends, in a weird sort of way. Even if she didn't have romantic feelings for him, she could never just let him slip away.

"I came to apologize too. I was a little harsh to you the last time I spoke to you. You know better than anyone how to stay away from the creeps, so I guess I shouldn't have judged you."

Rukia grinned. "Ah, don't worry about it. We've all been a little out of it lately, and I know I haven't been quite myself either." Of course she hadn't, she was consumed by Ichigo way too much.

Renji smirked. "Well I saw Aizen-san talking to you after the meeting, and I thought I would come greet you, and ask what he wanted."

It wasn't surprising that Renji had to be nosy and know what Aizen wanted with her. "He wants to me to go work at the other building. The changes will be made in the next month or so if it's official."

A frown formed on Renji's face. "Already? I didn't think it would start this soon. Do you like the idea of going over there?" He asked.

"No I don't. I've gotten accustomed to working here, and leaving would not be good." Rukia replied, staring at her computer.

"I can't believe everything. I mean, it's understandable that Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san temporarily have the power, but all the sudden changes? You know people aren't just going to sit well with this, and I'm scared to know the outcome." Renji stated, frowning. Rukia nodded in agreement.

"It is very strange, but there's nothing we can really do about it at this point, right?" Rukia asked, looking back up at Renji again. He shook his head, sighing.

"Nope, all we can do for now is wait and see what's gonna happen, but I just got this bad feeling it isn't gonna be good. Anyways, I thought I'd stop by and say hey before I get back to work. I guess I'll talk to yah later." Renji said, smiling at her.

Rukia smiled back. "See yah around." She said, and watched him leave her office. It was nice to be in amends with her close friend, and she suddenly missed another person close to her.

"Hisana, I haven't talked to her in a long time." Rukia whispered, pulling her phone out. She got a weird vibe every once in a while, like some strange twin telepathy thing, that told her she needed to talk to her sister.

"I'll call her at lunch." Rukia mumbled, forgetting momentarily that she was at work, and was currently concerned about where she would stand in the corporation. Figuring that Ichigo wasn't going to be coming to her office, Rukia decided to walk to his.

It was nice to hear people blabbing on about Aizen now being their temporary boss (though technically he was her boss) instead of about her, and that's when she heard it.

"You saw Hinamori-san with him at the party Sunday night? You said she looked upset?"

"Yes, the girl looked pathetic. Didn't she know Aizen-san was married?"

"Well, maybe Aizen-san was under a lot of pressure because of all the sudden changes and took her in as a stress reliever."

The two women stopped talking when Rukia stood in front of them. She knew who they were.

Rukia smiled as she said the words.

"Doesn't it make you wonder why Aizen would choose someone like her and not women like you, who do absolutely nothing but wear the tightest clothes possible, who are in fact the real pathetic ones? Hell, the only thing you do here is talk about everyone else, when you yourselves have nothing to praise about." Rukia stated, still holding her smile. She grinned even wider when the women looked shocked, almost as if they did want to be in Hinamori's shoes. Rukia walked off following. She was happy with her snide little comment, and hoped she could prevent at least a little gossip.

Rukia knocked on Ichigo's door, and when she heard him mutter a come in, she walked inside.

Ichigo still looked mad, and Rukia decided not to bring up what could be a move to the other building.

"What do I need to do?" Rukia asked, hoping Ichigo's mood would lighten up a little if she at least changed the subject of what had just happened at the meeting. She was really curious as to why it made him feel so angry. Rukia herself wasn't too happy about it, but she wasn't mad.

"Just do these files." Ichigo mumbled, passing some paperwork to the end of the desk.

Rukia took the files, and turned to leave. She figured he needed to cool off, but he stopped her in her tracks.

"They're lyin yah know." Ichigo muttered. Rukia turned her head back, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"How do you know?" Rukia asked curiously. She had a feeling they were, and she was open to any suggestions of how it was possible.

Ichigo sighed. "Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san have been acting strange lately, giving me different files, more confidential files. Remember that file I gave you about a week ago I think, and I told you not to lose it or it would cost our jobs?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia nodded, and Ichigo continued. "Well that was one of the files. That was a file for Yamamoto-san only, and Aizen-san had it." 

"But didn't Aizen-san say he's been sick?" Rukia asked. She wasn't trying to defend them, but she wanted to have all of her options ready.

Ichigo shook his head. "There's something fishy about that too. I haven't heard a single rumor of Yamamoto-san being sick or ill. Aizen-san hasn't said a word to me about it, and I can't help but wonder what's really going on. It isn't their place to be making such big decisions as moving people around; I don't care how sick Yamamoto-san is."

Rukia clenched the papers tighter to her chest. "Let's just play it by ear and see what happens." Rukia stated. Ichigo didn't appear satisfied with Rukia's answer, but didn't say anything.

"Just come back when you're done with those." Ichigo said. Rukia nodded again, said goodbye to him, and closed the door. She knew he was probably frustrated, and her curiosity about Aizen only grew. What exactly was he up to? It worried her even more that Ichigo was concerned about it, and she hoped things would turn out ok.

Rukia hadn't even said anything to him about being moved, and she really hoped it wasn't anything official.

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**A/N:** Oh no!! Aizen is a bad guy!! Or is he??? Poor Momo, I'm so mean, but hey, it will all turn out for the best I promise!! Anyways, some people thought I was just gonna drag out the IchiRuki and then end it, but we still have a little to go with this folks. Oh, and I know it was a little strange for Rukia to ask about Ichigo's past girlfriends, but the part about Ichigo never really having one is kind of important on his side of the relationship, as it shows (like Rukia is speculating) how much Ichigo might really care about her. Hehe…

I hope you all liked the turn of events, and I know some of are gonna be sad that Aizen was a jerk after all to Hinamori, but I know you suspected it (as he is the main villain in Bleach.) Next chapter will be interesting…

PLEASE REVIEW! I'm trying to learn how to cook a few new things, so ummm, for the time being I'll offer some brownies (I've cooked them like…once…) but they turned out pretty good!! PS: the women that are talking about Hinamori are the same ones from Ch.7 (if you remember…) when Rukia was walking out of work and they were saying stuff right behind her back.


	21. Ch20: Girl Talk

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Ok people, I have a problem, and it's called "updates too fast syndrome". If anyone has a cure for this problem, I would really appreciate some medication, or if anyone knows a good psychologist. I hope it doesn't bug people, since I updated three days earlier than I said I would. I'm insane, I know it...(and that's not counting all the times my mother has told me I'm insane.) Anyways…WOW, Ch.20!! It's crazy, but really, I am truly shocked at the amount of reviews I have received. I never dreamed in a million years I would reach such an amount, so I thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Now, on with the chapter!!!

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.20 Girl Talk**

"I'm so glad you could come Hisana, and you too Hinamori!" Rukia cried, smiling at the other two with her. They were at the small café by Rukia's apartment, declaring it the official "meeting place" for when Hisana would come into town.

"I'm glad too, and I can't believe you actually have a twin Rukia!" Hinamori stated. Rukia and Hisana chuckled and began the talking.

"So how often do you get to see each other?" Hinamori asked. Rukia shrugged her shoulders. "It depends. Sometimes every few weeks, and sometimes I don't see Hisana for months. It's hard but we've gotten used to it." Rukia said, while Hisana nodded along with her.

"I'll be staying for a few hours this time, instead of just one like almost always!" Hisana exclaimed. Rukia laughed at her sister, noticing the same pale skin as before. She wasn't going to ask any questions in front of Hinamori, but Rukia still worried about her.

"How have you been anyways Hisana?" Rukia asked. Hisana sighed, looking down at her plate of food.

"Preparing a photo shoot is taking up a lot of time, but I can't wait for the ending product. I think this one might be accepted in!" Hisana said, smiling.

"I'm so glad to hear it, and things have been busy here too, right Hinamori?" Rukia asked, averting her eyes to her friend. Hinamori nodded, looking a little glum.

"How do you like your job anyways? Last time I talked to you, you were ready to quit!" Hisana asked.

"You haven't told her?" Hinamori asked in a surprised tone. The question caught Hisana's attention, and Rukia could tell she was going to have to go into elaborate detail about everything.

"Yah, the boss that I hated, remember him? Well…I'm kind of dating him now."

"Wait…_what_? Didn't you admit to him that you kissed him at the ball, and didn't think you could handle talking to him again? Now you're _dating_ him? Rukia! You're dating the guy??"

Rukia laughed nervously at her sisters words. "Yes, I'm dating him. It's only been three weeks, but I like how things are going."

Hinamori was giggling next to Rukia the entire time. "Trust me, I freaked out when she told me they were dating." Hinamori stated. Hisana shook her head, in total disbelief.

So, Rukia explained everything to her sister, in great detail as Hisana had requested. She brought up how Ichigo had shown up at her apartment, asking her to come back, and how he suddenly changed, being much kinder than before.

"I went on a couple of dates with him, and to tell you the truth, I think I'm in love with him already."

"Rukia, you think you're _in love_? I want to meet him!" Hisana shrieked. Rukia rolled her eyes. Hisana was acting a lot like Inoue Orihime, who she did not feel like talking about at the moment.

"I just, I can't believe it!! What a strange occurrence of events Rukia! I'm happy for you though." Hisana said, grinning at her look a like sister.

"I can't either believe it either, trust me." Rukia replied.

It had been three weeks since Rukia started dating Ichigo, and she loved every moment of it. They saw each other six out of seven days outside of work during the week, whether it was at her apartment, his house, or some other place, it never really mattered. He was loosening up even more around her, and she the same.

"Well, I'm thrilled to hear of your great love news, but I remember you sending me an email filled with complaints about your job recently, so what's going on now?"

Both Rukia and Hinamori frowned at hearing Hisana's question, but Rukia finally spoke.

"Aizen-san, our boss at our building, and the one at the other building, Ichimaru-san, are currently in charge of the entire corporation until Yamamoto-san, the main boss, gets better. Most of us suspect that something else is really going on, because all of the sudden, people are being moved around from different buildings. I was informed three weeks ago that I might be moving, and it was confirmed yesterday."

"So why is this so horrible? I mean, I know it's a big change, but a corporation like yours calls for constant change, so what's the problem?"

Rukia looked at her with disbelief. "I finally like my job, and now I have to move again to the other building, and trust me, I _don't_ want to go there." Rukia muttered.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but why is it so bad to go to the other building?" Hisana asked. Rukia sighed.

"I can't stand the person in charge over there, Ichimaru-san. I've only met him once, and it was enough to make me throw up. The man creeps me out."

Hinamori cut in. "Well you probably won't see him very much, so don't worry about it."

Hisana nodded. "Besides, didn't you used to complain about your current boss and how mean he was, and now you're dating him? Don't be so negative Rukia; it could be for the best. Tell me, how often do you see your boss, what's his name?"

"Ichigo." Rukia said.

"How often do you see Ichigo ever day, including work?" Hisana asked.

"I see him practically every day, except on Tuesday nights because he goes and does stuff with his family."

"Ok, well you might not see it now, but this could be a good thing. I know you're in the beginning of a relationship, and probably want to see him 24/7, but eventually, you're going to want to create space Rukia, and getting moved to another building could be just right."

Rukia sighed. "We don't really act like a couple at work. We just get what we need to get done, and go home. It isn't a big deal." Rukia argued.

"Ok, but just remember that even though you might be in love with him already, three weeks is not a long time to be dating. A big problem with relationships is clinginess. It can ruin a relationship."

"Hisana, since when did you become an expert on relationships?" Rukia asked. Hisana smiled.

"I've been around a lot of people, mainly women, who always have relationship problems, and about half the complaints are on how clingy their boyfriends are, or vice-versa. I'm telling you this as your sister, and to give you a somewhat positive motivation for getting moved to the other building."

"Thanks, though I see it as something more painful." Rukia muttered sarcastically.

"Love is pain Rukia." Hisana replied, causing all three of the girls to laugh.

"Have you told Kurosaki-san about the move Rukia?" Hinamori asked. Rukia cringed in her seat.

"No, I haven't. My last day is this coming Wednesday, so I'll probably tell him tonight or tomorrow morning."

"Well he should probably know as he'll have to look for a new secretary." Hinamori stated. Rukia closed her eyes, wondering who would be Ichigo's new secretary. She couldn't help but feel a small ounce of jealousy.

Hinamori suddenly glanced at her watch. "Oh wow, it's getting late! I better head home. I have some cleaning and laundry and stuff to do, so I'll see you tomorrow, and it was nice meeting you Hisana-san!"

Rukia and Hisana both waved at the woman, and watched her leave.

"She seems really nice." Hisana said.

"Yah, she's been a great friend to me at Seireitei Inc., thus another reason as to why I don't want to leave my building."

Hisana chuckled. "Just don't think about it so much. A corporation is full of constant change, so don't stress."

Hisana paused again, and her smile grew to concern. "Look, now that it's just me and you, I need to tell you something important."

Rukia's face grew serious as quickly as Hisana's did.

"What is it?" Rukia asked.

"Rukia, I don't know how to exactly say this to you, because it's kind of hard but —"

Hisana paused again before speaking. "I found a small lump on my breast." She said softly.

Rukia's eyes widened. "What?" Rukia repeated.

"You know I've been having health problems these past few months, but the doctors couldn't find anything wrong. I wanted to tell you before anyone else, because you're the closest person in the world to me."

"Have you gotten any testing done or anything?"

Hisana shook her head. "I go in this week to start the testing. The doctors say it could possibly be cancer, but they won't be sure until the tests come back, which will take about a week or more."

Rukia was in shock. She knew something was wrong with Hisana with her weight loss and her pale skin, but she never thought it would be something like cancer.

"Is there anything I can do to help Hisana?" Rukia asked in a very concerned voice. Hisana smiled.

"Just be there for me, like I know you always will be. I would ask you to come with me to get the tests done and everything, but I'm getting it all done in France so I'm close to home. I'll call you as soon as I figure anything out, I promise."

Rukia nodded. "I'm glad they found a reason as to why you're losing weight and everything, but cancer?"

"I know Rukia, it's crazy. Look, I know I sort of just randomly said this to you, but I wanted to let it out, as I haven't told anyone else other than the doctors, so look, don't be worried, as I have all the rights to that, but I just wanted to let you know."

"Alright, well I'll keep you in my prayers ok?" Rukia asked, letting a small ounce of a smile come onto her face. Hisana smiled back.

"Sure Rukia."

They talked for another thirty minutes or so until Hisana had to leave. Rukia gave Hisana a big hug, though she hoped she wouldn't break one of Hisana's bones due to how frail she looked.

"Call me as soon as you find out anything! Love you!" Rukia shouted as she watched Hisana yell for a cab.

"Love you too, and don't worry, I will!" Hisana yelled back as she got into her car. Rukia watched as the cab pulled away. She felt something deep pulling at her, something she didn't understand. Rukia was a tough girl, but knowing that her sister could possibly have cancer made her feel weak. Hisana was her best friend, her other half, and to know that her other half could be sick, and could possibly—

Rukia squeezed her eyes closed. She couldn't do it. She knew the possibilities that came with cancer, but until Rukia knew, because Hisana was just then going to get testing done, then she would have to be brave for her sister.

Seeing that it was too late to see Ichigo, Rukia decided to called him, talking to him for a few minutes before getting ready for bed that night. She fell asleep much easier than she liked, and dreamed of her sister, running and playing, smiling care free.

Rukia hurried to get ready for work. She knew it was silly, but she wanted to see Ichigo. "Honestly, how can I adjust to being away from him at work when I'm so used to always seeing him?" She thought, grabbing her purse and heading out the door.

When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she was surprised to see Ichigo's trail blazer in front of her. Ichigo, seeing Rukia before him, closed his cell phone and rolled down the window.

"I don't think it's necessary for you to pay for a cab any longer." Ichigo said, smirking playfully. Rukia chuckled and got into the passenger seat.

Ichigo changed the cd in his car, and began driving off. When they reached a red light, Rukia stared at him.

"What is it?" Ichigo asked.

"Can I get something?" Rukia asked. Ichigo, looking confused, glanced at her, keeping his eyes focused on the light.

"This you idiot." She said, and brought her lips to his. Ichigo kissed her back quickly. After receiving a honk from the car behind them, Ichigo realized the light was green.

"I'm the idiot? You're the one who's gonna get us in a car accident." Ichigo mumbled, keeping his eyes on the road.

"Or maybe you should get better driving lessons." Rukia replied, looking out the window. Ichigo didn't reply, and Rukia added a point to her mental score board. Several minutes later, Ichigo was parking his car.

"How did things go with your sister last night?" Ichigo asked.

"Pretty good." She replied, keeping her eyes ahead. Rukia wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him about her sister Hisana just yet. Even though Ichigo didn't know Hisana, she knew Hisana told Rukia, and only Rukia, for a specific reason.

"I would have come over if it hadn't been so late." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"I told you it was ok. For such a tough guy, you really worry a lot." Rukia said playfully, earning a glare from Ichigo. They moved a little further away from each other when they reached the inside of the building. Seireitei Inc. was busier than ever, with all the demands from Aizen and Gin. It felt like the work would never end, and Rukia seriously questioned what all the busy work was for exactly.

"Today's another busy one, and you'll be in my office again all day." Ichigo told her when they reached his office.

"Alright, well let me go put my things up." Rukia replied. She walked to her office slowly, thinking about what she needed to say to him. Rukia had the idea that Ichigo already knew about her moving to the other building, but still, she didn't want him getting angry, though she doubted he would. Rukia knew that Ichigo hadn't requested her to be his secretary because of his feelings for her, but because he knew that she worked hard. Rukia was happy to know that, so she was curious as to what Ichigo would say.

After placing her purse in her drawer, Rukia left to leave for his office. She noticed people she had never seen before, and wondered if they came from the other branch. Rukia entered Ichigo's office right after taking a deep breath.

"Ichigo, I need to tell you something." Rukia said. Ichigo stopped what he was doing, and gave her his full attention.

"What?" He asked in a calm voice. Rukia looked at the ground.

"I don't know if you've heard, but Aizen-san is moving me to the other building."

Ichigo didn't move for a moment. "Is that ok?" Rukia asked.

"Er yah. I knew about it already." He replied, turning back to his computer.

"When did you find out?" Rukia asked, suddenly curious.

"About a week ago." He replied.

"Well why didn't you say anything to me?" Rukia demanded. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"I knew you would eventually tell me, so I let you do it when you felt you should."

Great, now Ichigo was beginning to sound all business like on her. She smiled at him none the less, glad that he wasn't upset, or angry.

"I will say I don't like the idea very much, but since we don't get much of a say in the matter, I let it go." Ichigo said. He then passed Rukia a large file.

"Put it in the group over there in the corner." Ichigo told her, keeping his eyes glued to his computer.

"Which corner?"

"That corner Rukia." Ichigo said, pointing to the left of his office.

"But there are two corners to the left side of this room Ichigo, as this is a rectangular room, with four corners, not two."

Ichigo sighed, ripping his eyes away from his computer. "The corner to the _right_ Rukia." He said with a lot of aggravation. Rukia nodded; smiling at the aggravation she caused to Ichigo, and set the file on top of the large pile. She accidentally bumped the pile as she turned, and every file stacked up neatly fell to the ground in a mess.

"What did you do that for?" Ichigo asked, standing up from his seat to help Rukia pick of the files.

"Me? Planning period is over Ichigo, so I think it's time for you to get a little more organized."

"Now that I think about it, maybe it is a good thing you're going to the other building." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia elbowed him in the arm, and continued to pick up the pile.

"Seriously, how do you even know where anything goes?" Rukia asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"I have my own way of labeling things." He muttered. Rukia sighed in frustration, and continued to pick up the files. She stood up to set one of the files on the desk. Gravity must have not been on Rukia's side at the moment, because as she stood, her foot stumbled upon a file, causing her to slip. Ichigo caught her wrist at the nick of time, stopping what could have been a very bad encounter with the ground for Rukia. He pulled her back up into the opposite direction, causing Rukia to slam into Ichigo. They didn't fall over, but Ichigo had to catch his own balance again for the two to stay standing.

"Of course your foot would slip on the out of the blue file." Ichigo muttered sarcastically. She realized his arms were encircled around her waist tightly, not letting her go. Rukia lifted her head up to see Ichigo's head leaning down.

"Thank you for catching me, but you can let go now." She whispered. Ichigo smirked.

"I think it's time we took a little break." He whispered back. Rukia was surprised at his bravery at the moment, as they were at work, where they never really showed any affection for each other, minus the constant bickering. But, seeing as how Rukia wasn't going to be his secretary for much longer, she gave into Ichigo's wishes.

Ichigo brought his lips down onto Rukia's slowly. Rukia moved her arms to his shoulders (as it was difficult she found to reach for his neck because of her height) and pressed her lips further onto his. She nearly squealed when Ichigo raised her up slightly. Slowly and carefully, Ichigo took slow steps to the wall next to them, pushing Rukia against it.

"How long is this break going to be exactly?" Rukia asked, breathless.

"Not too long I hope." He replied, and brought his lips back down onto hers, holding her up in the same position. Rukia was already starting to feel dizzy, losing her train of thought completely, but she simply didn't care. She didn't care that she was at work, making out with her boyfriend, in his office, where people could easily walk in catch them entangled with one another.

There was a knock at the door following. Abruptly, Ichigo removed himself from Rukia, nearly making her fall onto the ground in the process. At the nick of time, Rukia managed to drop to the floor, and began "organizing" the files that were left.

"Good morning Ichigo-san, Rukia-san." Came the sweet voice of Aizen Sousuke. Rukia stood up from her spot on the ground, and moved next to Ichigo, who was standing in front of his desk.

"Hello Aizen-san, what brings you here?" Ichigo asked in a rather polite way. Aizen smiled back, holding his stare at Rukia a little too long.

"I wanted to discuss some matters with you both concerning Rukia-san's move. I need you to give Matsumoto-san all of Rukia-san's paperwork, and sign a few things yourself. I put the paperwork in your box." Aizen said to Ichigo. He then turned to Rukia.

"I must say, Ichimaru-san is thrilled to have you coming to work with him. He's seen the work you've accomplished from Ichigo-san here, and he's happy to have you."

Rukia barely let a smile come onto her face. Surely Ichimaru Gin wasn't thrilled to have Rukia coming. She wasn't even going to be seeing much of him, right?

"Well, that's all for now. Remember Rukia, tomorrow is your last day here, so make it a good one." Aizen said, before turning around and leaving.

Ichigo and Rukia sighed in unison. "I still can't figure out what they're up to, and it's driving me nuts." Ichigo muttered.

"Maybe I can find out something, since I'll be over by Ichimaru-san." Rukia stated. She really didn't like Aizen telling her that Ichimaru Gin was happy to have her.

Rukia and Ichigo didn't say much after that, completely forgetting the moment they had previously. She got caught up in thinking about where she would be going, and even thought about her sister. The end of the day was helpful when Ichigo and Rukia walked to his car together, though they received looks from everyone. Rukia thought surely people would catch the hint, and move on with their lives, but she figured life wasn't that perfect.

"So where are we going?" Ichigo asked.

"I'm tired, so let's just go to my home." Rukia mumbled, leaning her head against the seat. Ichigo nodded, and the two made their way to Rukia's apartment. She changed into more comfortable clothes when she reached her home, and slipped on her Chappy slippers for extra warmth. Ichigo was sitting on her couch, head against the back of the cushion.

"I take it you're pretty tired too?" Rukia asked. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Just admit it Ichigo, if you're office was a little cleaner, you're life wouldn't be so stressful."

"No, my life wouldn't be so stressful if Aizen-san would stop giving me all those useless files."

Rukia sighed, not wanting to think about work for the moment. She finally sank into the couch next to Ichigo, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Do you want something to eat?" Rukia asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"Not at the moment." Ichigo mumbled. He suddenly snapped his head up.

"I can't believe I almost forgot." He muttered. Rukia sat up, staring at Ichigo curiously.

"What?" She asked. Ichigo rubbed a hand through his hair.

"Look, you know how I always go visit my family every Tuesday nights? Well, they wanted you to come tomorrow. Would you be interested?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia grinned. "What's the occasion?" She asked. Ichigo leaned back onto the couch.

"They want to meet you, properly. My sister Yuzu is cooking dinner, and she's the best cook I've ever known in my entire life."

"You have to say that because she's your sister." Rukia replied.

Ichigo shook his head. "Well you just wait. I'm tellin yah. She's only 21, but seriously, she's an expert. Yuzu's actually majoring in home economics, and I think she'll do great."

"What is she making?" Rukia asked. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"She's making lasagna, it's her specialty."

"Lasagna sounds good." Rukia replied, snuggling back up against Ichigo.

"So I take that as a yes?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes Ichigo, I'll go." Rukia replied, closing her eyes as she buried her head into his shoulder. Ichigo (who has improved with being more relaxed around Rukia) wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him.

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**A/N: **Ooh, shameless kissing at work!! Haha, wooo that was fun to write!! Did you like it? I did… but you already know that. I actually got the idea from a reviewer (with the whole kissing/arguing thing, and then someone walking in) so thanks Sierra77 (and anyone who might have wanted that to happen)!! Ok, well next chapter will be dinner at the Kurosaki residence, yay!! And Poor Hisana might have cancer! I know it's sad, but it really does happen unexpectedly. In fact, I just found out a girl at my old school has cancer, and I just can't believe it. It's so sad for her and her family, and anyone else going through cancer right now.

Important (kind of): Ok, so a lot of ppl have been asking about Hitsugaya, and to answer your first question as to whether or not he is in this, then I will say yes, but as far as if he has a love interest with anyone, I don't know yet, as I can't decide on who. SO, since I can't really decide, I want you to vote on these two couples. Hitsu/Hina or Hitsu/Karin. Give me your vote and why, and I'll make a final decision. And people, please don't hound me if the couple you didn't want gets into this story (If I decide to put some side romance in this). If there is any romance (which there probably will be), it's not going to be a whole lot as this is mainly an ICHI/RUKI fic, so don't fret!!

PS: Check out my pole! It asks about my new AU story idea called The Fallen (you can see a summary of it at the bottom of my profile page!) Much love!!


	22. Ch21: The Kurosaki Residence

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Alright guys, I found a cure for my "updates too fast syndrome", and it's simply waiting to write the next chapter. I didn't write this chapter until today, so yah! (But I don't know if I can stop myself from writing some chapters coming up…) Ch.21 guys, I seriously can't believe it!! Only like…five or six more chapters left!! (I think…) AHH. Again, thanks for all the reviews!! On with the chapter!!!

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.21 The Kurosaki Residence**

Tuesday had been a rather eventful work day, as Rukia received a small party from Hinamori, Renji, Inoue (who Rukia was feeling a bit better about) and even Ichigo. Hinamori bought Rukia a cake, and Renji provided a small gift. At the end of the day, Rukia said her goodbyes to all of them, though she knew she would keep in touch with them, as they had grown to be her close friends, minus Inoue.

She stared at the tall building for a moment before heading home. Rukia told Ichigo she wanted to walk, as it would be her last chance to. The other building was too far away. Ichigo won the argument of dropping Rukia off at work every day, and picking her up, though she saw no problem in calling for a taxi.

"I need to get my own car…" Rukia mumbled. She was making enough money, so perhaps she could finally start saving up. The walk home to her apartment made her feel a little relieved of things. She really did worry too much, but she couldn't help it.

Rukia's mind wandered to thoughts of the past five months, and how much her life had changed. It was the middle of April, and she couldn't help but wonder how different things would be a month later, in May. She knew it hadn't been very long, but she was in a relationship with Ichigo, who was no longer her boss. Rukia didn't even have to take commands from him anymore, which felt strange, since day one of working for Seireitei Inc., she did that and more.

She took her time walking home, as she had a good two hours until she would be leaving for Ichigo's family's house. Rukia watched the cars that passed, and the people walking by her. She knew it was silly, but she would actually miss walking to work, though she didn't do it anymore really. Though she enjoyed the walk home, she was glad to finally reach her apartment. The heels she wore were causing great pain, and the moment she opened the door, she threw the shoes off.

Rukia, feeling the need of relaxation, ran some bath water. She wasn't going to wash her hair, as she didn't have enough to get it fixed, but just soaking in the heat sounded amazing at the moment.

The bath did what it needed to do, and finally, Rukia prepared herself for the night at the Kurosaki residence. She was kind of nervous, as Rukia would be the new girlfriend for Ichigo's family to scope out, but she already knew how outgoing they were, which already made her feel somewhat better.

Ichigo arrived at her apartment at seven.

"Ready?" He asked, stepping into her small home. Rukia nodded, fiddling with an earring.

"You don't need to dress up or anything, trust me." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia rolled her eyes. "First of all, I'm not dressing up, I'm just putting on earrings, which I usually even wear to the grocery store. Second, I have every reason to dress up, as this is kind of a first impression type deal." Rukia replied.

Ichigo smirked. "Don't forget, you already met them." He stated.

Rukia hadn't forgotten, though she sort of thought Ichigo would have liked to not remember his very outspoken family.

She grabbed her purse, and the two walked out of her apartment. Rukia's mouth met Ichigo's after she locked the door. It was a pretty deep kiss, considering Ichigo even wrapped an arm around her waist, and Rukia was very satisfied.

"Just a few hours and you already miss me?" Rukia asked playfully as Ichigo pulled away. He in return rolled his eyes, giving her a smirk in return. They walked to his vehicle hand in hand, and climbed into the car.

"Can I drive?" Rukia suddenly asked. Ichigo shook his head. "You don't know how to get there." He stated.

"Well you can give me directions." Rukia suggested. Ichigo sighed. "Maybe comin back ok?" He replied. Rukia shrugged her shoulders and turned her head to the window as she usually did, minus the other times when she would stare at Ichigo.

She turned her head to the stereo when she recognized the music. "Why are you listening to Howling Zabimarus?" Rukia asked.

"I don't know. I felt like listening to them." He replied, keeping his eyes on the road. Rukia leaned her head back on the chair, relaxing in the car. Rukia felt confusion when they turned onto Ichigo's street.

"Why are we going to your house?" She asked.

"We're not." He replied, as they passed his house, and stopped at one three houses past his. Ichigo turned the car off, and stepped out of his trail blazer. Rukia blinked.

"Is this it?" She asked. Ichigo nodded, walking over and opening up her door.

"Yep." He replied. Rukia stared at the house in front of her, and Ichigo's that was a little further up the street.

"You mean to tell me that I've come to your house, I don't know, at least eight times now, and you're just _now_ telling me your family lives right here?" She asked, sounding a little irritated. Ichigo on the other hand must have found it funny, because he laughed a little.

"Yah, so what. Why did I need to tell you?" He asked. Rukia sighed as she stood on the sidewalk. She decided not to answer his question, and look at the task at hand.

"Ready?" He asked. Rukia took Ichigo's hand.

"Let's go." She replied, and they made their way to the doorstep hand in hand. Ichigo's hand was tight in hers, and she had a feeling it was to give himself comfort, and not her. His shoulders looked tense, and his steps were a little slow. Rukia smiled lightly, not too surprised to see that Ichigo would be nervous.

Slowly, Ichigo's hand fell onto the doorbell. After a long moment passed, and a long silence, where Rukia was pretty sure she could hear Ichigo's heart beat, the door knob began turning.

"Ichi-ni!! Rukia-san! I'm so glad you could come!" A girl with light brown hair beamed. Ichigo grinned at his sister, and pulled Rukia inside, letting go of her hand.

"I love your skirt Rukia-san! Where did you get it?" The girl asked. Rukia smiled, glad to see the girl was trying to make polite conversation already.

"I really can't remember. It's pretty old." Rukia replied. Ichigo hauled Rukia into the living room following, where they sat down on a couch. She glanced around the room, noticing something odd about it.

"Hey, Ichigo." Rukia whispered next to him.

"Yah what?" He asked, leaning in a little.

"How come there's a banner up that says welcome on it?"

Ichigo's face turned to irritation, but he didn't get a say as his father basically appeared from out of no where, wearing a—was that a rainbow tie? 

"ICHIGOOO! RUKIA-SAN!! WELCOME!!" Isshin said, grinning from ear to ear. Ichigo stood from the couch, and Rukia stood a long with him. The aggravation was vivid on Ichigo's face.

"Rukia, if you don't remember, this is my dad, Kurosaki Isshin. The girl that you just talked to is Yuzu, and the other one, though I don't know where she is, is Karin."

Isshin jumped in front of Rukia. "It's a pleasure to meet you!! I still can't believe Ichigo has a girlfriend, let alone went on an actual date —"

"Shut up!" Ichigo shouted, punching his father in the head. Rukia only smiled, trying her best to go along with everything.

"Seriously, you must be out of your mind to date my brother." Came the voice of a third person. Rukia turned her head to see the other sister, Karin, walk down from the stairs.

"That's Karin." Ichigo mumbled. The embarrassment was still visible on his face, but he seemed to be a little relaxed, though she didn't see how he could.

"The welcome banner is for you Rukia-san!! Ichigo's never brought home a girlfriend, well, because he's never really had one I guess…" Yuzu mumbled, looking down at the ground towards the end of her statement.

"Thanks." Rukia replied, keeping her grin plastered on.

"How's the food going Yuzu?" Karin asked. Yuzu's eyes widened.

"OH NO!' She screamed, and ran into the kitchen. Smoke began to appear in the living room, causing Rukia to cover her mouth. Isshin suddenly appeared, with an oxygen mask over his head, and a fire extinguisher in his arms.

"Don't worry Yuzu! Daddy's here to save you!" He cried, and moved into the kitchen. Ichigo, Rukia, and Karin all watched as Isshin pushed Yuzu out of the way, and slowly yet carefully opened up the door to the oven.

"STAND BACK!" He called out, as a small red flame could be seen. Isshin got the fire extinguisher ready, and sprayed the fire out, and the food around it. The smoke alarm went off following.

"Oh no!" Yuzu cried, looking at the oven with sadness. Karin ran upstairs and turned the alarm off, and came back downstairs to open up some windows.

"Look, if we need to we can leave." Ichigo said, looking almost hopeful about leaving. Yuzu and Isshin both turned to Ichigo, wide grins on their faces.

"Don't be silly Ichi-nii, that wasn't dinner. I was making some brownies for work tomorrow, and I left them in for too long, but dinner is already done!" Yuzu replied. Ichigo sighed, looking at the ground.

"Oh great." He replied with a dull like voice. So, after Ichigo and Rukia grabbed towels, and helped get most of the smoke out, they sat down for dinner. Yuzu let the lasagna cook in the microwave for a minute (to let it heat up a little) and dinner was served.

"This lasagna is great Yuzu-san." Rukia said politely, though great was an understatement. It was probably the best lasagna she'd eaten. Ever.

"So, Rukia-san," Isshin began, placing his hands underneath his chin as he stared at Rukia. "How exactly did you meet Ichigo?" He asked.

"At work." She replied.

"Was it love at first sight?" Yuzu asked, batting her eyes. Rukia chuckled lightly.

"Not exactly." She mumbled, not daring to glance at Ichigo to see his reaction. Rukia after all couldn't stand Ichigo at first.

"So when did you and Ichigo you know, first kiss?" Karin asked. Rukia didn't know what to say, and grinned from ear to ear when she saw the priceless blushing face of Kurosaki Ichigo.

"Karin! Don't ask such a personal question!" Yuzu hissed, glaring at her sister.

"What? I mean, you've been dating for a little while now right? So I'm assuming you've kissed one another."

"Oh I'm sure they've done much more than that…" Isshin stated, winking at Ichigo. Ichigo slammed a hand on the table.

"Could you _please_ stop harassing Rukia with questions?" Ichigo nearly shouted.

"No no we aren't done yet." Isshin interrupted, glaring at his son as if Ichigo had said something terribly rude. "Tell us, was that you're first date with Ichigo, you know, at the Senbonzakura concert?"

Rukia nodded slowly, keeping her grin.

"Ok, I have one for Ichi-nii!" Yuzu chirped, turning her head to face her older brother.

"What?" He muttered. Yuzu giggled before asking.

"How long have you guys been dating?" Yuzu asked.

Ichigo scratched his head. "I don't know, almost a month, right Rukia?" He asked. Rukia turned to him and nodded. It would be a month the following Monday…

"Do you love Rukia-san?" Yuzu asked. Ichigo's eyes widened following, a deep blush on his face.

"Yuzu! What kind of question is that?" He shot back.

"It's a simple yes or no question Ichigo." Karin stated, folding her arms over her chest as she stared at Ichigo intensely. Even Isshin joined in on the stare.

"I-I DON'T KNOW! You don't just ask a person that sort of question out in the open like that!!"

Rukia felt a little bad for him, since his family was ganging up in him, so she stayed calm. Even though Rukia knew she loved him, she wasn't sure of when she would ever admit it to him. Besides, if Ichigo wasn't in love with her, which could be the case since they hadn't been dating very long, she would give Ichigo time. He was a shy guy, so she saw no point in rushing him. Rukia would admit her feelings to him when it felt right, whenever it would be.

"You're such a baby Ichigo." Karin muttered, taking a bite of her lasagna.

"Shut up." He shot back, picking at his own food.

"Why don't you tell Rukia a little bit about yourselves, since she's already answered some of your ridiculous questions." Ichigo suggested with a hint of sarcasm. Isshin's eyes lit up.

"That's a wonderful idea! I'll start. I work at the clinic right next to our house, helping people living here in Karakura town, and this is my house! I was married to a beautiful woman named Masaki and had three beautiful children, though the oldest is kind of a loser with the women I'm ashamed to say."

Ichigo gave Isshin a death glare as he continued. "Masaki died from a car accident about three years ago, but we've managed just fine." He finished. Rukia stared down at her plate of food, not sure of what to say once again. Isshin had brought up his deceased wife easily, but the other three seemed awful quiet.

"Karin, why don't you take it from here." Isshin insisted. Karin sighed as she lifted her head. Rukia didn't know the girl all that well, but she could see a hint of sadness.

"I'm majoring in business like Ichigo, but I like playing soccer for fun. I'm on a team here in Karakura, and we reached the finals." Karin said in a monotone voice. She pointed her finger at Yuzu.

"It's your turn." Karin mumbled. Yuzu, unlike Karin who had sighed, grinned widely, and began to speak.

"I'm majoring in home economics, with a minor in interior design. I love being in fashion, and exercising. I want to find a man of my dreams soon, who I can go and marry!" Yuzu shouted excitedly.

"Oh shut up Yuzu, you've got guys lined up the block for you." Karin muttered.

"You're just jealous." Yuzu replied, sticking her tongue out at Karin childishly. Ichigo, Rukia noticed, looked suddenly aggravated about his sisters talking about the male species.

"Alright, well enough about that." Ichigo stated.

"So where did you grow up Rukia-san?" Yuzu asked.

"A small town called Rukongai just a few hours away from here."

"Do you have any siblings?" Karin asked. Rukia nodded.

"Just two, a twin sister and an older brother."

Karin and Yuzu both grinned. "You have a twin too? Identical or fraternal?" They asked in unison.

"Identical." They grinned even wider, with Yuzu adding a little squeal.

"That's so cute!" Yuzu stated. Rukia chuckled a little at seeing their excitement, and hoped she could see her sister soon. The rest of dinner was spent on telling stories about all of them growing up, and embarrassing stories about Ichigo.

"Do you remember your senior prom Ichigo? Oh Rukia-san, you should have seen him!! We couldn't find a suit for him in time, so he had to wear one of my old ones!" Isshin cried, pulling out a photo album. In the picture was Ichigo, wearing a purple pimp like suit, with a gold tie, looked extremely upset, with his usual scowl on his face. His date had short black hair.

"Who is that?" Rukia asked, after containing her laughter at seeing Ichigo wearing something so ridiculous.

"That's Tatsuki; she was my best friend growin up." Ichigo replied back, trying to keep his cool. Rukia chuckled again at his attempt to stay calm, and closed the book.

"Well look, it's getting late, so I should probably take Rukia home." Ichigo said, glancing at his watch.

"Right Ichigo, you're going to "take her home"." Isshin said, nudging Ichigo in the shoulder. Ichigo gritted his teeth together, and pushed his dad away.

"It was nice meeting you guys." Rukia stated, smiling at the three of them.

"It was nice to meet you too." Karin replied.

"Yes, please come and visit again soon and hopefully next time we won't have to put a fire out!" Yuzu said.

"Don't break my boy's heart! You're the only girl he'll probably ever have a shot with!" Isshin called out as Ichigo and Rukia moved to the car, earning another glare from Ichigo. Rukia and Ichigo waved back at them, finally reaching the car.

"Oh wait! Rukia-san!" Yuzu shouted. Rukia turned her head to see Yuzu running out after her.

"I wanted to show you something." She said, grinning. Rukia nodded, and scooted away from Ichigo. Yuzu had a piece of parchment in her hand.

"What is this?" Rukia asked.

"An idea." Yuzu replied.

"For what?" Rukia asked, seeing the neat ribbon on the paper, with the colors.

"For a _wedding_ invitation for you two."

Rukia's eyes widened. "Look, Yuzu-san, we-we've only been dating for about a month, so I don't know if—"

Yuzu shook her head, closing her eyes. "I know my brother better than anyone, and I can tell he's in love with you. I know you're going to be around for a while."

Rukia was shocked at the younger girl's words. "Well I'll see you again soon then." Rukia replied nervously. Yuzu smiled at Rukia, waving at the shorter woman.

Ichigo waved at them one last time, and opened the door to the driver seat. "You wanna drive?" He asked. Rukia smiled, seeing the warmth in his eyes. Did Ichigo love her? She saw it as a possibility, and with his sister, Yuzu, a girl who seemed to like speculation the two, said he was.

"No, you go ahead." She replied, hopping into the passenger seat. Yuzu's words shook up Rukia a little too much, and she was as curious as ever about how deep Ichigo's feelings were for her.

They reached Rukia's apartment ten minutes later, not saying much to each other. Ichigo agreed to go up to her apartment with her for a little while, as it was nine o'clock at night.

"I hope you had fun." Ichigo said when they closed the door. Rukia smiled.

"You're dad is really funny, and you're sisters are sweet. You don't seem really like them, minus Karin-san." Rukia stated, plopping onto her couch.

"What about Yuzu's lasagna, did you like it?" He asked, taking a seat next to her.

"You were right about that, it was amazing." She replied. Ichigo looked satisfied about something, and shifted his weight closer to her.

"I could tell they really liked you." He whispered, leaning his head over to hers. Rukia smiled, happy that Ichigo was happy.

"I didn't say that much since I was kind of nervous, but I guess your insight is the best." Rukia said softly, bringing her arms around his neck.

Ichigo pulled her onto his lap, the confidence in his movements surprising Rukia in a good way.

"It's gonna be weird not seeing you at work, yah know." Ichigo said softly into her neck. Rukia closed her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Trust me, I know." She replied. Ichigo pulled his head back a little, and pushed his lips onto hers. It was a soft and slow kiss, giving Rukia butterflies. His arms tightened around her waist, and he pulled her up a little, so Rukia could be even closer to him. Ichigo's tongue moved into her mouth, exploring it as he wished. She moaned a little, because of how good Ichigo seemed to be at kissing. If he hadn't ever really been with a girl before her, then how was he so good at making her feel amazing?

She supposed it was just a natural gift, and wondered what other kinds of gifts Ichigo had.

Rukia groaned an hour later, when Ichigo was standing at the door ready to go home.

"So do you think I'll be able to meet your family anytime soon?" Ichigo asked with a curious look on her face. Rukia frowned.

"Ichigo, I would love for you to meet them, but I have no idea when. My parents are extremely busy in Tokyo, my brother can never do anything because of his corporation, and my sister lives in France."

Ichigo looked disappointed, and Rukia put a hand to his shoulder. "I'm sorry Ichigo, it's just hard when everyone lives so far away. At least your family lives in this town. I wish I had that luxury."

Ichigo smirked back. "Yah, don't worry about it." He replied.

"I'll be here at 7 to take you to work tomorrow, ok?" He asked. Rukia sighed, leaning her head against the doorway.

"Alright." She replied. He leaned down and kissed her one last time, letting the moment last much longer than necessary, just like Rukia liked it.

"Bye." He said, and turned around to leave. Rukia didn't close the door until Ichigo was gone, wishing he could stay at her apartment like he had done over a month ago. She changed into her pajamas, brushed her teeth, and climbed into her cozy bed.

"Please, let things go ok at the other building." Rukia whispered, taking a deep breath following. She hoped everything would turn out ok, and that by being away from Ichigo wouldn't distract her too much.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **Sorry for the longer update, I know it's usually like…every three days, but I don't really know anymore. Definitely at least once a week, but that's all I really know!! Anyways, I hope you all liked this chapter. It was kind of like a filler chapter I guess, but we need some more build up of Ichigo and Rukia's relationship, and that includes going to visit Ichigo's family. Next chapter will be back to business though!! Rukia will get to her new office, and maybe meet some new people (hint Hitsugaya!!!) Yay!!

Important thingy: The votes are in, and Hinamori is the winner (yay!) I figured it would be, but I thought I would give you all a say in this story (because I love you all that much!) BUT, I want to proudly defend why I like Hitsu/Karin so much. I know Hitsugaya and Karin will more than likely never be together, but I loved the filler episode with Karin and him. It was sooo cute! And since I'm not a ridiculously huge fan of Hitsugaya (like I am of Ichigo) then I don't mind liking more than one couple. Since Ichigo is my favorite, I want him with Rukia, and Rukia ONLY. XD


	23. Ch22: New Faces

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Another chapter, not too surprising right? My "waiting to write a chapter until later" plan failed, so my "updates too fast syndrome" is still incurable, and it sounds like people don't want a cure for it, so here you flipping go. I did warn you that updates would be random after all. XD. I have a question people. I'm all of the sudden finding stories with Hitsugaya and Rukia as a pairing. I'm sorry, but that's weird, as Rukia and Hitsugaya have basically never said a word to each other (at least I can't remember). Sorry for the random comment, but I've been seeing a lot lately, and I was just wondering why… Anyways, on with the story.

Rukia's first week at the new building. How will things go? Will she survive?

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.22 New Faces**

"Thanks, Ichigo, and I guess I'll see you later today." Rukia said, smiling at her boyfriend in his trail blazer. Ichigo smirked back, leaning in and stealing a kiss from her.

"No problem, and don't knock anything over." He stated.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "Well, I doubt anyone will have a messy office like yours, so I won't have that problem."

Ichigo chuckled, tightening his grip on Rukia's hand. "If you need anything, just give me a call, or send me an email." He said playfully.

"You really are a softie." She said softly, bringing her lips to his again, making the kiss deeper than the previous one. Ichigo brought a hand to her face as they kissed, and held it there when they pulled away.

"Who is your new secretary anyways?" Rukia asked curiously. Ichigo's frowned, turning away for a moment.

"I'm kind of annoyed about that, as I don't know. Unlike last time, when I was able to have a say in who my secretary would be, Aizen-san hasn't said a word to me about it, so I guess I'll find out today." Ichigo replied.

"I'm sure whoever it is will be good, though I doubt they'll be better than me." Rukia added playfully with a big smile. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Just be careful ok?" He asked, his face more serious than before. "I'm not going to be there to protect you."

Rukia smiled at him. "Don't worry, I'll be fine."

She kissed him one last time, and stepped out of the vehicle. Rukia waved at him as he drove off, and slowly turned around to face what was in front of her.

The other building.

It was Wednesday morning, and a wash of gloom hit Rukia as she stared at the tall building. She didn't want to go there, she wanted to go back to where she was before.

Realizing Rukia had no choice in the matter, she took slow steps to the front door. Taking a deep breath, as Rukia tended to do in nervous situations, she opened the door. People were smiling and greeting one another. She was a little nervous that people would stare at her, wondering who she was exactly, but no one did this. Instead, people smiled at her kindly.

"You're Kuchiki Rukia right?" A female voice said from behind. Rukia flinched from the loud voice, and turned her body to see none other than Matsumoto Rangiku. Rukia at the moment wished she was a little taller as her head reached the woman's ridiculously huge chest.

"Yes." Rukia finally replied, trying to keep her eyes off of what was straight in front of her. Matsumoto didn't seem to notice Rukia's odd behavior.

"Follow me." She commanded in a cold tone. Rukia followed the woman wordlessly, and froze when they reached an elevator.

"You're office is on floor eleven, which is right next to mine. You'll be doing the exact same thing that you did at the other building, the only the files will be different."

Rukia nodded, cringing when the elevator doors made the dinging sound. The doors opened following. No one else was on the elevator, and Rukia stepped on after Matsumoto.

"Are you ok?" Matsumoto asked. She must have seen Rukia's green face.

"I don't like elevators too much." Rukia replied, placing a hand on the side rail when the elevator began moving. Matsumoto smiled.

"Well you better start getting used to it, because you're going to be traveling on it a lot. You're going to be moving all over the building, and I don't care how fast you are, using the stairs will only waste time." Matsumoto muttered.

What happened to the bubbly Matsumoto that Rukia always saw when she and Ichigo came to the building? Then again, it could have very well been because of Ichigo that Matsumoto acted so kindly, and Rukia began feeling a little bit of bitterness towards the extremely curvy woman, who was now her boss.

The elevator dinged again, and the doors swung open. Rukia followed Matsumoto off the elevator again, and they turned to the left, walking just a few doors down.

"Here is your office." Matsumoto said, opening the door. Rukia's office was surprisingly bigger than her office at the other building, with a much larger desk.

"This shelf right here is extremely important. Any files I put in the first slot are things that need to be sent to other people in the area. Any files in the second slot are files that need to be mailed and sent to the other office, unless it says Kurosaki Ichigo or Aizen Sousuke, those will be picked up by them on Wednesday. And the third slot is for you. They will have instructions on what needs to go where, or what you need to do with the files. I went ahead and labeled the slots for you, but I figured I'd give you an explanation." Matsumoto said.

"Do you have any questions?" Matsumoto asked.

"I don't think so." Rukia said smiling. Matsumoto grinned back.

"Well sorry if I seem a little pushy, but Kurosaki-san is coming in a little while, and I have to go get all the stuff he needs for the other building. I'll come back in a few hours to check on you. If you have any questions, please ask the people next to you, Hitsugaya Toshirou, or Kotetsu Isane. They're here to help you and get you used to where different things are. Are you sure you don't have _any _questions before I leave?" Matsumoto asked.

"Nope, I think I'll be alright." Rukia replied. Matsumoto waved again, giving Rukia a big grin before disappearing. Seeing that there were files in the slots, Rukia began her work with the third slot. The filing was extremely easy, as Rukia only had to sign a few things, and then put it in its proper file cabinet, already labeled alphabetically. When that work was done, Rukia decided to move onto the other two slots, where she would have to travel around the building, and more than likely get on the elevator again.

She couldn't help but shudder.

Remembering that Matsumoto asked her to ask any questions to the people next to her, Rukia stepped out of her office, and looked to her left. The door to her left had the name "Hitsugaya Toshirou" on it, and remembering Matsumoto talk about him, she knocked on his door.

"What is it?" Came the voice. Rukia blinked, a little surprised to hear the voice.

A deep sigh was heard, followed by the voice again. "Isane, if you ask me about the stupid file again I swear I'll—"

The door opened, revealing a guy barely a foot taller than her with white hair, and piercing blue eyes. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were someone else."

He looked down at her name tag. "So you're the Kuchiki girl? What do you need?" He asked with a little bit more kindness.

"Matsumoto-san said to ask you if I had any questions."

The guy nodded, waiting for her to continue. "I'm new as you know, and I have no idea where anything else is, let alone my own office."

Hitsugaya sighed, rubbing a hand on his neck. "Let's see, the first floor is the visiting area, the second floor is the copy room and work area, the third floor is the printing area, the fourth floor is the design area, the—"

"There is no way that I can remember all of that, so can you just tell me which floor is the scanning area?" Rukia asked.

"That's the tenth floor. Any other questions?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Well it would be nice if you could write down each floor for me, instead of saying it extremely quickly."

Hitsugaya sighed again. "Sure sure, I mean, it's not like I don't have a job to get done or anything." He said sarcastically. Rukia went to say something, but was met by the door slamming into her face.

Ok, so maybe the Isane person would be a little kinder.

Isane's office was just a little further down that Hitsugaya's. She knocked on the door, and was met by a much politer voice. "Come in." She said kindly. Rukia opened the door, letting a smile form on her face out of politeness.

"Can I help you?" The woman asked. She had short silver hair, with some strange bead thing tied to her head.

"Um, yes, I'm new here, and I have no idea where anything goes."

The woman Isane smiled, and took the files from Rukia's hands. "The first file goes to the scanning area, which is the tenth floor, the second one goes to the fourteenth floor, which is right next to the lounge, and the nineteenth goes to Ichimaru-san's office. So just bring it straight to him."

Rukia gulped. How often would Ichimaru Gin need files personally delivered to him.

"I think I still have the map from when I first joined Seireitei Inc., if you would like it." Isane said kindly. Rukia smiled and nodded.

"I have a question." Rukia said as Isane fumbled for the map. "Yes?" She asked, opening up a side drawer.

"Is Hitsugaya Toshirou always so…rude?" Rukia asked. Isane stopped what she was doing, turned to look at Rukia, and began laughing.

"Oh no, don't worry about him. He gets flustered really easily, and at the moment he's a little angry with me, so therefore he's rude to everyone else. Hitsugaya is actually a pretty nice and understanding guy, why, what did he do to you?" Isane asked.

"Well he was just sort of a jerk to me when I asked him for help, but it's ok. I know it can be aggravating when someone new comes and asks for help." Rukia stated. She knew she was being rather chatty, but she wanted to talk and get to know people, and Isane kind of reminded her of Hinamori.

"Anyways, feel free to come to me with any questions. I won't be too busy this week, so don't fee like you're being a burden, even though you wouldn't if I did have a lot of work. Ok, I'm rambling, but you get my point right?" Isane asked, smiling.

"Yep, I got it." Rukia replied. She left the office following, and began putting the files where they needed to go. It was actually pretty horrible, since Rukia had to get on the elevator every single time, but finding the floors and where the files went was pretty easy.

She then had her last file to deliver, which was the one to her new boss, Ichimaru Gin. Rukia did not want to go and talk to him, but she had no choice, and inhaled a deep breath when the elevator came to a stop on the nineteenth floor.

Rukia already had a fishy feeling about Aizen, but he didn't creep her out the way Ichimaru Gin did, who she had only talked to once or twice in her entire life. Just looking at the man gave her chills, which was a pretty hard thing to do as Rukia had met some pretty strange people in her life.

There weren't very many people on the nineteenth floor, calming Rukia a bit. It didn't help when so many people were around, whether they knew of her presence in the room or not, so she was at least grateful for that. Some girl sat at the desk outside two large doors, which she presumed to be Gin's office.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Kuchiki Rukia." Rukia replied, and held up a file.

"This is for Ichimaru-san." Rukia stated flatly. The girl eyed the file for a moment, and picked up the phone.

"Yes Ichimaru-san, Kuchiki-san is here with a file for you, alright." The girl hung up the phone, and pointed her finger towards the door.

"Try to make it quick, he has some people coming to see him shortly." The girl said, watching Rukia as she passed.

Rukia stopped in front of the two doors. She had seen his office before, but it felt a little different. Maybe it was because she was alone, and going into his office, unlike before, when she always had Ichigo with her, who made her feel safe in a way, though she knew it was silly.

Ichigo was her protector in a sense, and she thought of his sweet words from that morning.

"_I'm not going to be there to protect you." _

She smiled, wondering why Ichigo had said such a thing, and felt more excitement for the day to end, when she would reunite with him. The more time Rukia spent with him, the more she was falling in love with him.

Realizing she was still standing outside the door, Rukia pushed the doors open.

"Hello Kuchiki-san." Came the cold voice of Ichimaru Gin.

"Go ahead and close the doors behind you, it's too noisy out there." Rukia heard him say from behind. She closed the doors as he asked, feeling a bit more afraid knowing that they were closed off from everyone else.

"Get a hold of yourself." Rukia said to herself mentally. If she was going to be working at the building, then she needed to get use to the fact that she would probably be seeing Ichimaru Gin often, since he was her boss.

And finally, Rukia let her eyes fall on her new boss. Gin had his arms propped up in a similar position Aizen always sat in. His strange snake-like grin was plastered onto his face, with his eyes slick.

"I have a file for you." Rukia said, continuing to move towards him. Gin held a long hand out to take the file. When Rukia was close enough, she handed him the file over his desk.

Somehow, his hand touched her fingers as the file was passed onto him. Rukia shuddered badly on the inside, trying to calm herself. Gin set the file on his desk, and turned his attention back to Rukia.

"Thank you Kuchiki-san, I must say, I wasn't expecting to receive this so quickly. That's pretty good, seeing as it's your first day."

Rukia smiled lightly at the man. "It's nothing really." She said politely.

"I wanted to say a few things to you before you left Kuchiki-san, so why don't you go ahead and take a seat." Gin stated, pointing to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. Rukia slowly sat down; making sure her skirt was covering her legs. She knew it was uncalled for, but something about the man in front of her made her think otherwise.

"I make it a priority to try and get to know the employees that work at this building, so I'd like to ask you a few questions if you don't mind."

Rukia hesitated before nodding. What could the man possibly want to know?

"First off, how are you liking Seireitei Inc.?" He asked.

"I like it a lot, the people are nice and understanding, and the work is set at a good pace."

Gin nodded at her words, his smile never dropping. "That's good to know, and I know it's difficult for you since you're at this building and all. Alright, next question, how long do you plan on staying here?"

Rukia honestly didn't know, so she replied honestly, in a kind way. "As long as I can I suppose. I don't really know, because I don't know what positions I'll get, or what other options I will be offered."

"What do you mean by other options?" Gin asked, his face for some reason looking more serious even though he still grinned.

"I don't know, other job opportunities I suppose, though that is very farfetched. I like my job here, and I want to stay as long as I can."

"I like your answer Kuchiki-san, it's honest yet kind. I respect that. Now, I have one last question, and then I'll let you get back to your job because I know you're busy."

Rukia waited for him to speak.

"Tell me how you would react if you were put in this situation."

Gin paused again, leaning even further on his desk. "Say you came to work, and you were suddenly attacked by someone."

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked, dumbfounded by the turn their conversation had taken.

"For example, say you came into your office, and found another male employee in there, when suddenly, he attacked you, in a sexual way."

Rukia froze in her seat. What was he saying?

"Say he attacked you, threatening that you had better not tell anyone, and left your office. Would you tell anyone?" He asked.

Rukia stared at the ground. "Of course I would. The employee would obviously need to be fired, and possibly charged with sexual harassment, if the victim had been hurt to a bad degree and felt necessary."

Her eyes suddenly locked with Ichimaru Gin's, and she felt the sudden sinking feeling, pulling her down. She was grateful when there was suddenly a knock at the door.

"Oh, I almost forgot. You can leave now Kuchiki-san." Gin said, grinning at her as she stood from the couch. Rukia gave a weak smile to the man, and headed towards the door.

What on Earth kind of question was that? Had there been some sort of problem before? Then again, Ichimaru Gin seemed to be a strange man, and perhaps he asked all his employees such questions.

She sure as hell hoped so.

Without thinking or looking up at who was knocking at the door, Rukia opened the two large doors, keeping her head down. It wasn't her place to go talking to people that Ichimaru Gin needed to meet with.

Rukia froze when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Slowly, thinking that it was Gin again, she turned around.

Only to meet Ichigo's face. "Wow, day one and I already run into you." He said a little quietly. No words could describe how happy she was to see him in that moment. Her thoughts of her boss floated away as she stared at him. Rukia would have kissed him on the spot if they hadn't been where they were, in front of Ichimaru Gin, Matsumoto, and—

Inoue Orihime.

Rukia stared at the girl with disbelief before asking. "Is she your new secretary?" Rukia asked. Ichigo nodded, looking a little disappointed about something. Inoue must have heard Rukia's question, because she approached the two.

"Kuchiki-san! How is the job going?" Inoue asked all too kindly.

"Pretty good." She replied.

"I'm just loving the new job! It's nice not having to take all those awful phone calls, and Kurosaki-san has been really nice."

Rukia felt a vein pop. Ichigo was being nice to her? She figured she shouldn't worry too much about it, as Ichigo had gone to that dinner thing with her several months back, and had acted politely to the bubbly woman.

"Kurosaki-san, Orihime-san, could you please come in now?" Matsumoto asked with a playful tone. Orihime waved goodbye to her, and Rukia began walking away.

"Hey." She heard Ichigo call from behind.

Rukia turned her head around, looking at him. "You ok?" He asked with a concerned look. She grinned at him.

"I'm fine, just didn't think I'd run into you already is all."

He smiled at her, a genuine one, waved at her, and moved into the office, closing the door behind him.

She knew it was stupid to admit, but she hated knowing that Inoue was now Ichigo's secretary. Becoming Ichigo's secretary had played a huge part in starting their relationship, as it created the late nights at work, and the dates that followed. Rukia clearly remembered Ichigo saying that he didn't really care for the girl, but Inoue seemed to be an ambitious girl, though she hid it well.

Rukia took one last deep breath, and headed back to her office. It was time for her lunch break, and Rukia only wished she could eat with Ichigo, instead of alone.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **Whoa, Gincreeeppyy. Seriously, what was up with that question? Was it unusual for him to ask? Hmm, you'll just have to wait for the NEXT CHAPTER! Hehehe. Oh, and how about that? INOUE is his new secretary! Ugghh! Anyways, I was kind of sad that I didn't get as many reviews as I usually do for the last chapter (though its not like I gave a lot of time for you to review since I updated two friggin days later...geez). I don't blame you all I suppose, as it wasn't really that great of a chapter, but still, it really REALLY helps when I here your comments, so please, review. I seriously write this for you, so show me some love and review ok?

LOVE YOU! I know there wasn't a lot of ICHIRUKI, but this was just to show Rukia's first day and all, so go ahead and review, and I'll update!!


	24. Ch23: As the Days Go On

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Sorry about the Hitsu/Ruki bashing last time. It's not that I don't hate it or anything, because I myself am writing a Hitsu/Karin fic, which we know will probably never happen (and it makes me sad!). It just sort of freaked me out because I was suddenly seeing so many stories for the couple, and I couldn't handle it. I hope I didn't offend anyone as everyone is entitled to their opinions and likes/dislikes! (And now that I think about it, Hitsugaya and Rukia would be interesting…though it's hard because I'm such an IchiRuki fan.)

ANYWAYS (I seriously blab too much). Here is the next installation to the story. How will things go? Will Rukia go nuts at knowing that Inoue is Ichigo's secretary and what about her job? Will Gin be creepy again?

Read and enjoy

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.23 As the Days Go On**

Three Days.

It had been three days since Rukia's arrival at the new building, and unlike the first day, which had really freaked her out, she was beginning to like her job much better.

First of all, Matsumoto acted completely different the second day of work, all bubbly and happy like she did when Rukia saw her before. Second, Hitsugaya, the person that didn't really help her all too much on the first day ended up being a pretty cool guy. He still had a grouchy-like quality about him, but he was a lot more easy going, and actually carried a descent conversation with Rukia, who was trying to slowly get to know people. Thirdly, she hadn't spoken to her boss Ichimaru Gin after their first strange conversation, and Matsumoto explained to her that she wouldn't visit him too often. Rukia was glad to know she wouldn't have to talk to him very much, and even confronted her new acquaintance Isane about the question Gin asked.

_Flashback_

_It was the second day at work, and Gin's question had been eating at her sides. What better way she thought, then to ask another employee about the question? It was right when Rukia decided it would be a smart decision to do when Isane walked by her._

"_Um, Isane-san?" Rukia asked. The silver-haired woman stopped and turned to Rukia, a smile on her face._

"_Yes?" She asked kindly. Rukia smiled weakly back, hoping she could word her question correctly without sounding strange. _

"_Well, is it just me or is our boss Ichimaru-san a little…different?" Rukia asked. Isane stared at her for a moment, and then began laughing._

"_No Rukia-san, it isn't just you, trust me. Why do you ask?" Isane replied. It relieved Rukia to know that she wasn't the only one, but she still had to ask about his strange question. _

_Rukia sighed. "I went into his office yesterday, and he asked me some questions about how I was liking Seireitei Inc. and everything."_

"_So far so good. He's actually interviewed all of us I think." Isane added, crossing her arms. _

"_Well most of the questions were fine, as I understand a new boss is curious about his employees, but the last question kind of threw me off as it was different than the rest." Rukia mumbled. Isane still had her eyes glued to her, and she finally said it._

_  
"He did one of those "I put you in a situation and you tell me what you would do" type of things. Did he ask you that?" Rukia asked._

_Isane pulled a hand to her chin. "Come to think of it, yah I think he did. I think it was something about if I caught an employee giving confidential information to someone outside of the corporation, how I would react to it. What did he ask you?" Isane asked._

_Rukia tensed a little. So was it not too strange for her boss to ask the question? She went ahead and told the kind woman._

"_He asked me what I would do if another employee walked into the office, sexually harassed me, and threatened that I better not tell anyone."_

_Isane was quiet for a moment. "Well?" Rukia asked. She didn't know Isane very well at all, but she felt comfortable around her already._

"_That is a little strange, even for Ichimaru-san, but I wouldn't worry too much about it. I mean, he does always ask those kinds of questions, and he might ask that same one to other people, though I can't think of anyone who had a question even remotely close to yours." Isane mumbled. _

_End of Flashback_

Rukia didn't know how to take the answer that second day, and she still didn't know how to take it presently. As she had stated, she didn't know Isane very well, and didn't know if she was being honest, or trying to hide the fact that it was indeed an extremely odd for Ichimaru Gin to ask the question just so she wouldn't perhaps freak Rukia out. It drove her nuts that she still didn't know, but she figured there wasn't much she could do about it, and until something else fishy happened, she wouldn't say anything.

But that didn't stop her from telling Ichigo the third day after work.

She wasn't sure she wanted to tell him, but after confirming her little conversation with Isane that it could be a little out there, she decided to ask Ichigo, who she knew well, and would have a good say in the matter.

Ichigo picked her up after work on Friday, looking a little more tired than usual. He gave her a quick kiss and pulled onto the road.

"Where to?" He asked. Rukia grinned.

"Your house, I'm sick of mine." She whined. Ichigo simply nodded and made his way towards his house.

"You alright?" Rukia asked, seeing that Ichigo's irritated (though he often looked irritated) face wouldn't let up. He sighed extremely deeply when they came to a red light, leaning his head back against his chair.

"It's Inoue-san. I mean, she's really nice and all, but she can't get the work done quick enough. It isn't even planning period anymore and she's lagging behind. I think she deserves a higher position than being the receptionist, but it's a little too quick to move straight to my secretary. Seriously, I want you to come back."

Rukia took hold of his hand that was at his side. "Well, she's probably nervous herself since she didn't get a say as to where she was moved to, kind of like how I had to move to the other building." Rukia replied. Ichigo nodded. Rukia didn't know why she was sticking up for Inoue, but she supposed she shouldn't be so harsh about it. It did of course bug her that Inoue was his new secretary, but someone had to take the job, and Inoue wasn't even getting things done, which therefore annoyed Ichigo.

She also knew how Inoue probably felt, with getting a new position and all. Rukia didn't even last a day when she was Ichigo's secretary at first, and even though Inoue said Ichigo had treated her kindly, she was curious as to how he did say things to her.

"Anyways, how was your day?" Ichigo asked. Rukia smirked, changing the song on the cd player.

"It's getting a lot better. I'm starting to talk to other people, and the work is pretty much the same. Matsumoto-san is really funny." Rukia commented. Ichigo smirked back at her, and before Rukia knew it, they reached his house.

"Why does it feel like it takes a shorter amount of time to reach your house?" Rukia asked. Ichigo opened the door to his car and stepped out.

"Because the building you work at is closer to my house, duh." He replied. Rukia was extremely tempted to throw the newspaper that was nearby at his head, but decided not to because she didn't have the energy.

They both sank onto the couch, Rukia collapsing her head and shoulders onto his body. He brought an arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer.

The fourth thing Rukia liked about her new job was the distance she had with Ichigo. Because of the space she had from him with the new job, Rukia naturally missed him, so when they did reunite, she wanted to be with him almost desperately. The time away from him nearly killed her, but she knew that the space was creating stronger feelings for him.

"It's still weird yah know, not seeing you all day at work." Ichigo mumbled next to her. Rukia snuggled her head further onto his chest.

"I know it is, trust me. At least your in a place where you know everyone. I have to start out fresh, and Ichimaru-san does not help."

She let it slip.

Rukia knew she wanted to ask Ichigo about him, and possibly say how he freaked her out, but she hadn't meant for it to come up at that particular moment, as she had no idea how Ichigo would react.

He was silent for a moment before speaking.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked, his voice sounding much more serious than before.

Rukia looked down at the ground, though he couldn't see her. "He just sort of gives me the creeps is all. I mean, the first time I met him I thought he was kind of strange." Rukia mumbled.

"Is that the only reason?" Ichigo asked, pulling away from her so he could look at her. He looked slightly concerned.

"Was that why you looked so upset on Wednesday when I saw you at work? Because you were in there with him before Inoue-san and I came?" Ichigo asked. Rukia was surprised Ichigo even remembered.

"Well kind of I guess. He just asked me a really weird question, and no, I didn't particularly like being alone in his office, with just him." Rukia replied.

"What question?" Ichigo asked, his eyes turning harder with each statement.

"Well, you see, he was asking me several questions in there, like why I like Seireitei Inc., you know, almost like interview questions, just a little more casual, but the last question was a little weird." Rukia said, eyes now locked to the ground. When Ichigo didn't say anything, she went on.

"He asked me a scenario type question, to see how I would handle the situation. Ichimaru-san asked what I would do if," Rukia said before pausing. She knew it was probably the worst time, but she didn't know what Ichigo would say or do. "If say an employee were to come, sexually harass me and then threaten me so I wouldn't tell anyone, what I would do."

"What did you say?" Ichigo asked.

She looked up at him, thinking he sounded calmer, but his eyes still looked tough.

"I told him I would report him immediately, and press charges against the man depending on what exactly happened."

Ichigo leaned back against the couch. "I don't really know what to say about that." He muttered.

"I asked another employee about it, and she said it was normal for him to ask questions, and situation questions, but when I told her what he asked me, she said she'd never heard of him asking that kind of question though. What do you think?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo sighed. "Honestly, I don't think it's too big of a deal. It is an unusual question, or scenario, but nothing over the top. He does technically have the right to ask you that, so I wouldn't worry too much."

"Are you sure?" Rukia asked, seeing the doubt in his eyes. She was getting better and better at reading his emotions.

"Just watch for any other weird things he does, because then we have a problem."

Rukia nodded. "Matsumoto-san said I wouldn't see much of him anyways, so it will be fine. I just thought I would ask you since you would probably know."

She was being rather sweet to him, which didn't happen all too much.

"Ah, don't worry about it."

There was still something uneasy about how he looked, and Rukia just couldn't take it any longer.

"What is bothering you so much?" She asked. Ichigo closed his eyes, frowning.

"I'm just sick of Aizen-san and all of his changes. Do you know how many files he's moved around, which sucks when we have to put them all back in order, especially with Inoue-san, and how slow she is."

Rukia nodded, staring at the ceiling. Suddenly her stomach growled, embarrassed, she was glad it at least brought a smile to Ichigo's face.

"I take it you're hungry?" Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded slowly, smiling.

"I don't want to go anywhere, so how about we make something?" Ichigo asked, sitting up a little. Rukia sat up straight on the couch, glancing towards Ichigo's kitchen. She had never cooked at his apartment, and she was curious as to what he was capable of making.

"So, between these two things, what would you like. Spaghetti or uh…a frozen dinner." Ichigo offered. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Do you not know how to cook?" Rukia asked. Ichigo glared at her. "Hey, spaghetti is cooking isn't it? And you have to put a frozen dinner in a microwave and everything, which requires steps, so yah, I can cook." He replied.

Rukia sighed and stood from the couch, Ichigo following from behind. They slowly made their way to the kitchen, not even commenting on how lazy they probably looked, and stopped at the pantry.

"Wait, so are we making spaghetti or a frozen dinner?" Ichigo asked before they opened the pantry. Rukia closed her eyes.

"Spaghetti, I don't want to look too lazy." She mumbled. Ichigo nodded in agreement and opened the door, pulling out the noodles and sauce. Rukia found a pot, filled it with water, and placed it on the oven so the water could begin to boil.

"Have I told you about Hitsugaya-san?" Rukia asked. Ichigo shook his head, leaning against the counter.

"I thought he was kind of rude at first, but he's really funny, in a clueless sort of way. He gets aggravated really easily, but not to the point where he's mad. He's really fun to talk to as well. I eat lunch now with him, Isane-san, and sometimes Matsumoto-san, who is actually pretty outgoing and fun." Rukia said. Ichigo nodded.

"You know? Hitsugaya-san actually acts a lot like you, except maybe a little less clueless." Rukia said, earning a glare from Ichigo.

"I'm not clueless."

"Well he at least keeps his office clean."

"Yah, well maybe because he doesn't have as much paperwork to do." Ichigo replied. Rukia smiled, checking on the water.

"I guess that is true." She replied, moving next to her boyfriend. Ichigo nodded.

"It's not a guess, it's a fact." He stated, latching his hand with hers. She liked holding his hand when it was just the two of them. A lot of people didn't even know the two were dating still. Rukia wasn't sure how rumors were going at Ichigo's building, and that was one thing she was glad about. The only rumors floating around at her current building was stuff about Gin, and rumors about if someone would be moving or not.

When the water started boiling, Rukia put the noodles in, and began to stir them around.

"You're good at stirring the spaghetti." Ichigo commented, standing over Rukia.

"It's not like it's hard." Rukia replied. Ichigo grabbed the can of sauce and poured it into a smaller pot.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked. Ichigo set the pot of sauce next to the boiling noodles.

"Heating up the sauce." He replied, keeping his eyes on the sauce. Rukia shook her head.

"It's too soon to be cooking the sauce Ichigo, if you cook it now it will only get overcooked."

"Sauce can't overcook Rukia, besides, if it gets cold then we can heat it up again."

"Then why not wait and heat it up when the spaghetti is closer to being done."

"Because Rukia, I don't want to wait for the sauce to get done if the spaghetti finishes before the sauce heats up."

Rukia gritted her teeth, and smacked Ichigo's hands away. She turned the knobs off, and moved the pot full of sauce next to the counter.

"How about we wait ok?" Rukia said, looking at Ichigo. The look he gave her told her he wasn't finished just yet.

"No, how about you let me do my way of cooking, since we're at my house. At your house, we can do what you want." He said, stepping closer. Rukia groaned at Ichigo's stubbornness, and kept her stance in front of the sauce.

"You aren't getting past me, so why don't you just stir the noodles, and when the time comes, I'll heat up the sauce."

Ichigo shook his head, and moved towards her. "Rukia, just give me the sauce." He demanded.

"No, I won't. Why are you being so stubborn?" She asked.

"I'm the stubborn one? Who was the person that pulled the sauce away?" He said, trying to get around her. Rukia put her hands up in defense.

"You aren't getting it, so give it up."

"No." He replied, and started snaking his way around her. To her unluckiness, Ichigo was much stronger than her, and taller. So, with his arms, he reached her over head and quickly grabbed the sauce, carefully pulling it back to him. He kept his arm raised, smirking at Rukia as she tried to get the sauce. The pot swayed in his arms, and a little sauce fell on the floor.

"Ichigo! I'm gonna get you for this!" Rukia warned as she continued to hop up and down. Ichigo set the sauce on the fridge, standing in front of it. Rukia waved her arms in the air, hoping to get some sort of reach.

Unfortunately, because Rukia wasn't paying attention, and basically forgetting about the boiling pot of spaghetti, her foot tripped onto the small amount of sauce that fell on the ground, causing her to slip. Her body hit the side of the oven, right where the boiling water was. She moved back enough to get away from the oven, but the pot of water full of spaghetti still fell over.

Ichigo, seeing what would happen, pulled Rukia into his arms right before the pot crashed onto the ground, holding her tightly as they moved away from the water so that her feet would not touch the boiling water. Rukia suddenly gasped in pain, squeezing her eyes closed. "What is it Rukia?" He asked, his voice full of concern.

"My-leg." She breathed out, her arms tense around his neck. He brought her out of the kitchen and set her on a counter in the living room. Ichigo glanced down at her leg. Rukia's left shin had a pretty long burn on the side.

"I think s-some water splashed u-up and hit my l-let." She mumbled, holding onto the edge of the counter with all her might. Ichigo checked for anything severe, and ran to the bathroom to get a cool rag. Rukia winced in pain when Ichigo gently pressed it to her leg.

"You'll be ok, it's just gonna hurt for a little while." Ichigo said softly.

"I need to go turn the burner off, so hold this to your leg ok?" He asked. Rukia nodded and watched Ichigo disappear, wincing again when the cold hit a new spot on her burning leg. Ichigo had to climb on the counter to turn the burner off, causing a giggle from Rukia. She didn't want him to fall though, as the water was still probably hot. She could see steam coming from the ground, and hoped the water wouldn't cause any damage.

Ichigo came back a second later, pressing his hand onto Rukia's as she held the cloth to her leg. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Rukia was very surprised.

"Shut up." She replied, glaring at him. Ichigo blinked.

"What?" He asked. Rukia smirked.

"Why are you apologizing? I'm still not done here. Once we get the spaghetti cleaned up, we're cooking spaghetti, the way I want to."

Ichigo smiled at her weakly. "You really are sensitive." She mumbled.

"No I'm not." He replied. Rukia sighed and leaned her lips into his stealing a kiss. It was the most romantic unromantic thing in the world, and Rukia loved every second. Ichigo eventually cleaned up all the water when it cooled, and placed some medicine and bandages on Rukia's minor burn.

Deciding that having another battle over spaghetti sauce would only drain more energy from the two, they ended up having the frozen dinner. The dinner was pretty good too.

Rukia fell asleep on his couch that night with a blanket wrapped around her body, and Ichigo's arms wrapped around her. She felt so safe as she slept curled up next to him. The weekend passed by way too fast, and Monday morning was not something she looked forward to. Ichigo dropped her off as usual, though it was taking her longer and longer to get out of the car as they couldn't seem to keep their hands (or better yet their lips) from one another.

Her day was the same as usual when Rukia was bombarded by a very loud Matsumoto.

"Ok Kuchiki-san, first thing's first. I need you to drop this off on the nineteenth floor, right outside Gin's office ok?" Matsumoto asked as she put other items into Rukia's other slots.

"And then just do all of this. Are you getting used to everything?" Matsumoto asked.

"Yah, it isn't too hard to figure out." Rukia replied, earning a big grin from Matsumoto.

"Good, and remember Hitsugaya-san and Isane-san next to you." She said, and left the office. Rukia took the file that Matsumoto sat on her desk, and left her office. She hadn't even been there for two minutes and was already busy with work, how typical.

She decided to stop and say hi to Isane and Hitsugaya before she made her trip onto the elevator, which still made her stomach churn. Rukia knocked on Hitsugaya's door, and heard him shout a come in. She opened the door to see Isane in there, talking to Hitsugaya.

"Good morning Rukia-san." Isane said as she smiled. Rukia smiled at the two of them, though Hitsugaya looked extremely tired.

"Hey." Hitsugaya said, pulling out a stack of papers.

"If you really can't find your file, then ask Matsumoto-san Isane-san, though I don't know how much she'll actually help." Hitsugaya muttered. Isane sighed.

"Did you even look?" Isane asked, her face looking irritated. Hitsugaya nodded slowly, standing from his desk to put the files away. Rukia decided to change the subject.

"How was your weekend?" Rukia asked, hoping it would soften the mood some. Isane half smiled.

"It was pretty good, I didn't do a whole lot, but I did get some cleaning done." She beamed. Rukia turned to Hitsugaya.

"And how about you?" She asked.

"Nothing really." He mumbled, but something about his answer made him look nervous. Isane grinned.

"Our little Hitsugaya-san went on a blind date this weekend, but he won't tell me the person's name, and he won't tell me how it went."

Hitsugaya glared at her. "Because it's none of your business what the person's name is, and if you must know, it went pretty well." He replied, earning an even bigger grin from Isane. Rukia joined in with the smiles as well.

"Why don't you tell us about it?" Isane asked, moving towards Hitsugaya. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"We went out to eat and saw a movie like normal people do." He replied, shoving a drawer closed.

"You're such a grouch in the mornings, have you had any coffee yet?" Isane asked, causing Rukia to chuckle.

"Why don't you leave me alone? And stop treating me like a kid. You're being worse than Matsumoto-san right now." He shot back, taking a seat in his desk.

Rukia didn't know why, but there was something about Hitsugaya that she liked. Even though he could be grouchy, something told her that he liked the dumb questions.

"At least you don't ask these annoying questions Rukia-san, I think we'll get along great." Hitsugaya suddenly said. Rukia smiled.

"We'll see about that." She replied.

"I guess I better get back to work, but I'll see you two later." Rukia stated, and turned around to leave. Hitsugaya and Isane were arguing again as she left.

It took her a little while to reach the nineteenth floor, because of obvious reasons like the elevator, and people greeting her. The lady that usually sat in front of Gin's office wasn't there that morning. Rukia assumed she didn't come in until later, as Rukia came a little earlier than some people.

She placed the file in a box next to Gin's office, and froze when she heard two voices.

"So here's everything to finalize it." A female voice said.

"Thank you very much Yoruichi-san." The other voice, Ichimaru Gin's voice, replied. Rukia moved closer to the door, curious as to why Yoruichi was in his office.

"I hope you're happy." Yoruichi said, sounding bitter. Rukia heard a chuckle come from Gin.

"We are very happy, and please understand that we are doing this for the best." Gin stated.

"Well I don't think my great uncle is too unhappy, but I can't say I'm too thrilled." Yoruichi replied. Rukia poked her head in, seeing Yoruichi's back in front of Gin's desk.

"He shouldn't be unhappy as he is getting a lot of money in return. I'm sure you'll get a piece of the share since you were going take his place." Gin said.

Rukia's eyes widened. What did he mean?

"Well I better get going, my uncle needs me" Yoruichi said, turning around to leave. Rukia pulled her head back, but then heard Yoruichi's voice again

"Can you do me one thing? For my uncle at least?" Yoruichi asked.

"Yes?" Gin replied.

"Don't destroy the corporation, since you and Aizen are running the whole business on your own now, it would be a shame to see the hard work of my uncle crumble to pieces."

Gin laughed. "Don't worry about anything. We'll take great care of it."

Rukia couldn't stand to hear another word and turned around before she would be seen. Deciding she didn't have the patience to take the elevator, Rukia walked to the stairs.

"Wasn't Yoruichi-san supposed to take over? Why are Ichimaru-san and Aizen-san taking over the entire company?" Rukia thought to herself as she began her descend down the stairs. She always knew something fishy was going on, and now she needed to tell Ichigo.

Rukia froze when she heard the door to enter the stairway open. "Kuchiki-san, could ya come here for a second?" Gin asked, smiling as he held the door open.

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**A/N: ** OOH! CLIFFY! Hoped you liked this chapter as a lot of things happened. Hopefully it didn't sound rushed, but I wanted all of the events in this chapter, so I didn't think it was rushed. ANYWAYS, I know there wasn't a lot of Hitsugaya, but we'll see more of him. Do remember though that this story is going to end sooner than later, so don't expect a ton of appearances from him, as of right now he's a minor character. I wonder who he went on a date with!! Please review and tell me your thoughts! I loved writing the IchiRuki kitchen scene (like when Ichigo lifted Rukia off the ground so she wouldn't get burned from the water!). So tell me if you liked it or not!! LOVE YOU GUYS!

PS: I'm thinking of making this story 28 chapters instead of 26 (just to let yah know).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!


	25. Ch24: Not the Only One

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Hey guys…what's up? Doin good? How was your Christmas? Did you get nice things? I hope so since you all deserve it! Here, how about I give you a present, a new CHAPTER! YAY!! Woo!! Yah….

Anyways, what the flip is Gin going to say to Rukia? What the flip Rukia going to say to Gin? What am I going to set as my weight goal for my new year's resolution? Read to find out (minus the last question).

**XD** ENJOY **XD**

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.24 Not the Only One**

"Kuchiki-san, could ya come here for a second?" Gin asked, smiling as he held the door open.

Rukia nodded slowly, trying with all her efforts to keep her cool. She was never good at hiding her nervousness, especially in front of someone that with one glance made her feel paralyzed. How was she dealing with Gin as her boss anyways?

Had he seen her listening in? Rukia mentally shook her head no, taking each step back up towards the nineteenth floor carefully. The snakelike features never ceased to make Rukia question what kind of man Ichimaru Gin was, and really hoped that she wasn't the only one freaked out by his strange facial expressions.

When Rukia reached the doorway, Gin pressed a hand on Rukia's back, gently pushing her back onto the nineteenth floor. Chills shrieked down her spine, but she kept on walking. "Be calm, be calm." Rukia repeated in her head. Gin closed the door behind him, and turned to Rukia.

"I just wanted to ask ya a question." Gin said, his smile never faltering.

"Yes?" Rukia asked, keeping her hands together so they wouldn't shake due to her trembling.

"I saw that you just dropped this file off, and I thought I saw…"

Great, Ichimaru Gin had seen her listening in on the conversation. She was done for.

"I thought I saw you drop off two files, but there's only one. Can you make sure to ask Matsumoto if there was another, because I was pretty sure there was."

Rukia, feeling something lift from her pressured chest, relaxed. "Right, of course." She replied, and moved to the elevator, deciding the stairs now had a gloom from seeing Gin's face. Rukia pressed the button for the elevator to come up.

"Oh, and one more thing Kuchiki-san." Gin called from behind. Rukia flinched at hearing his voice, but turned around, keeping a polite grin.

"Tell Matsumoto that there's gonna be a big meeting with everyone this afternoon around 2 o'clock. I'm going to officially announce that Aizen and I are taking over the corporation."

Rukia's eyes widened. "What?" She breathed out. Gin only kept his stare at her.

"Well why hide it from you, since you obviously heard me talking to Yoruichi-san just moments ago. How else would I have known you came up here?"

Rukia turned her body back around slowly, still full of surprise. "Don't worry Kuchiki-san; it was my fault for not closing the door all the way. I'm about to announce it anyways, but please, try not to tell anyone until later. For now, let's…"

Ichimaru paused. "Let's keep it our little secret." He finished. Rukia cringed once again, and as soon as the elevator doors open, she stepped inside, watching Gin's haunting smile as the doors slowly closed.

"Why do I always feel so weak around him?" Rukia thought. She knew it wasn't something healthy, and it was beginning to bother her.

"_Let's keep it our little secret." _

Her eyes squeezed shut, and she pulled her arms around her body, feeling cold. When the elevator reached her floor, Rukia stepped off, making her way to Matsumoto's office.

"Oh Kuchiki-san! What brings you to my office?" Matsumoto asked with a big smile, her huge chest seriously freaking Rukia out, since she was eye-level with the huge things.

"Um, I took the file to Ichimaru-san's box, and he said he thought there were two, and said to ask you." Rukia replied.

Matsumoto placed her hands on her hips as she looked at the ceiling in thinking mode. "Hmm, maybe there is, I'll have to check. Thanks for telling me, anything else?"

Rukia nodded. "Yes, Ichimaru-san said there's a huge meeting with everyone at 2 today, and he wanted me to tell you."

Matsumoto's grin dropped, her expression looking serious. "Thank you for telling me Kuchiki-san, you can go now." Matsumoto replied, her voice sounding oddly dull.

Rukia nodded as she always did, and left Matsumoto's office. She had tons of work to get done still, and hopefully enough time to do it. Rukia reached her office, and pulled out some other paperwork, filing what needed to be filed, and signing and stamping what ever needed to be signed and stamped. The day went by pretty quickly with the busy work just like Rukia liked, but the words Ichimaru said to her would not die down.

"So they are taking over the corporation, but why?" Rukia thought. She couldn't point out a lot of what Yoruichi and Gin were saying to one another, but that part was obvious, as Gin told said the words clearly to Rukia. And then he had seen her spying on them, being as nosy as ever.

2 o'clock approached, and after meeting with Isane and Hitsugaya, they began walking to the meeting together.

"Come on Hitsugaya, I've been asking you all morning and you still won't tell me the person's name." Isane pleaded, giving a small pouty face to Hitsugaya. He crossed his arms together, closing his eyes.

"You wouldn't know her even if I did tell you her name, so just drop it." Hitsugaya stated, turning to Rukia.

"So Rukia-san, how is your day going? Anyone harassing you about previous dates?" He asked sarcastically, causing Rukia to laugh.

"My day is going ok, and no for the second question." Rukia replied. Isane's face turned to curious.

"You know Rukia-san, I've never even asked about your love life. Do you have a boyfriend?" Isane asked. Rukia sighed.

"It's not like you've known Rukia-san long enough to ask her about it, let alone drive me up the wall." Hitsugaya added, earning a glare from Isane.

"I don't mind, and yes, I do have a boyfriend." Rukia said proudly with a grin. Isane smiled back.

"Oh really? What's he like? Do tell!" Isane asked as she moved closer to Rukia.

"I don't know. He's stubborn, but sweet at the same time. We're a lot alike actually." She replied, smiling still. Isane's grin deepened.

"How sweet! I have a boyfriend as well, and though his appearance is tough, he's totally a softie." Isane said. Rukia nodded, thinking of Ichigo once again, and feeling the desperation of wanting to be with him. It was safe to say the end of the day would be an exciting one.

"What's his name?" Rukia asked, trying not to think about Ichigo so much. Isane sighed.

"Hisagi Shuhei, he works for another company. See Hitsugaya-san? I can say the name of my boyfriend, who I have gone on dates with, even though Rukia-san doesn't know him, so why can't you say the name of the girl you went out with?" Isane asked, turning her attention back to Hitsugaya. He growled.

"I'll see you two at the meeting." He muttered, and sped up to stay away from Isane.

"He really gets irritated easily doesn't he?" Rukia mumbled, watching Hitsugaya's white hair as he passed by various people. Isane giggled.

"I don't know why, but it's just so much fun to tease him like a little kid, even though he's the same age as me." Isane replied.

"So what's your boyfriend's name?" Isane asked, looking at Rukia. Rukia wasn't sure if she wanted to give away his name, as Isane would probably know who he was. Not a lot of people knew that the two were dating, and she wanted to keep the number as small as possible. Then again, it would be rude to not tell her.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Rukia replied, looking down at the ground. She didn't want to see Isane's reaction.

"You mean Kurosaki Ichigo from the other building?" Isane asked in a surprised voice. Rukia nodded.

Isane grinned. "I'm guessing you met him because of work? You were his secretary before right?" She asked.

"Yah, and then I was moved here because of all the changes Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san are making." Rukia muttered, feeling angrier than she probably sounded.

"It's not fair really, but it's all to help the corporation. I wonder what Ichimaru-san is going to say anyways." Isane stated, looking around at others.

Rukia knew.

They finally reached the meeting room, and Rukia stayed next to Isane and Hitsugaya, glad to have someone to stand by (since there weren't any chairs). Everyone was standing up, though the people in the front moved to the side so the people in the back could see a little better. Rukia didn't mind people blocking her way as it prevented her from looking at Gin.

And somehow or the other, through all small cracks of bodies meshed next to one another, Rukia saw his face clearly. Gin was looking in another direction, but seeing his face alone, and knowing what he said to her that morning didn't help at all.

"Good mornin everyone." Gin said, smiling at everyone. "I have an announcement to make. It's extremely big news, so please bear with me."

He paused again, waiting for the small crowd of whisperers to die down. "It was confirmed just a few days ago that Yamamoto-san will not be coming back to the corporation due to his illness, and has decided to retire early."

Gasps ran through the crowd, and Rukia listened intently on Gin's words. "Because of the quick turn of events, Yoruichi Shihouin will not be his successor, Aizen Sousuke and I will be."

Isane and Hitsugaya both glanced at each other in surprise, though Hitsugaya had more of a look of suspicion. Rukia simply averted her eyes back forward when she heard Gin's voice again.

"We've actually been running the corporation for the past month, because of Yamamoto-san's illness; the only difference is we will make all the exact decisions instead of Yamamoto-san. The same changes will continue to take place, and as Aizen-san and I make other changes you do not know about, we will inform you ahead of time."

"Are there any questions?" Gin asked. When no one said a word, he nodded, grinning a little wider than usual.

Rukia didn't like the way Ichimaru Gin said things. It felt like he was constantly trying to suck people into what he wanted, without any mercy. The crowd was pretty silent, and she wondered how everyone else was feeling about it.

"Alright, well listen, Aizen-san and I realize how hard you've been workin and we want to reward you." Gin said. Everyone's attention turned back to him, wondering what the snakelike man would "reward" them with.

"At three o'clock, I want you all to be at the other building in the front hall. There, we have provided a party for you, because of your hard work. Please, take this as gratitude for all that you have done for us, and we hope you can understand."

Some people awed and thanked Ichimaru Gin for his kindness, while others dragged out of the office, appearing extremely confused. Rukia could hear a few people in front of her grumbling about how they had no idea of where the other building was.

"I'm not surprised." Isane said, folding her arms over her chest. "I knew something like this was bound to happen. Ichimaru-san seems like a guy who aims for the top."

Rukia nodded, Aizen was much like that too. "I don't think Yamamoto-san is sick." Hitsugaya suddenly said, his eyes extremely icy.

"I had to come by the other night to pick up something here, and I saw Yamamoto-san talking to Ichimaru-san about something, and he looked fine to me." Hitsugaya muttered. Rukia looked down.

"Well it's not like there's much we can do now since they own the corporation, and I wasn't too surprised either. I just hope Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san don't change the corporation too much. Hey, at least we get a party out of it" Rukia replied, trying to be positive for once.

When 2:45 rolled around, everyone made their way to the other building. Rukia rode in Isane's car, since Isane had no idea of how to get there. Rukia was glad to get away from work, even if it was for a corporate thrown surprise party, but she was ecstatic about seeing Ichigo, and wondered how he had reacted towards the big news.

"So we don't work for the rest of the day?" Isane asked as she turned a street. Rukia shook her head.

"It ends at five, so I'm assuming not. I still can't believe we're going to a party during work hours." Rukia mumbled. Isane grinned.

"Eh, well the party probably won't be that big of a deal anyways, so we'll see."

Isane was completely wrong. The party was…over the top. There was food everywhere, a D.J., and even a dance floor, with some crazy lights going around the room. It looked more like a nightclub than anything, and for the oddest of odd reasons, Rukia thought of the masquerade ball, except she could see everyone's identities, and began searching for bright orange hair. Isane, spotting the glorious table of food, waved goodbye to Rukia, saying she would see her later. Rukia continued to glance around the room, seeing familiar faces. She felt disgusted when she saw her boss, Matsumoto, leaning rather closely to Gin in a very...well _more than_ friends kind of way. There weren't _dating_ were they? Then again, Matsumoto always said Gin's name casually, so perhaps...

Somebody suddenly bumped into Rukia, and she turned to see Hinamori. "Hinamori!" Rukia cried, giving the girl a hug.

"I can't believe we haven't hung out! What's the deal?" Rukia asked, talking to Hinamori as more and more people filled into the rather large room.

"I know Rukia, it's been crazy, but we can hang out now! I'm still confused at why we're having a party right now anyways. I mean I understand with the news and all they want to kind of celebrate, but it's kind of rushed isn't it?" Hinamori asked. Rukia nodded.

"I don't really understand." Rukia replied, lifting her head up to look for Ichigo. Hinamori grinned at her.

"I think I know who you're looking for, and he's not coming down for a little while." Hinamori said. Rukia frowned.

"Why not? Did he look mad when he found out?" Rukia asked. Hinamori shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know, but Inoue-san said he would be down in about half an hour or so, so for now, why don't you come and talk with me, because I have a lot to tell you."

And so, Hinamori and Rukia found a small table and began their chat. Rukia told Hinamori of how she liked the building, and how Ichimaru Gin was completely freaking her out.

"Ichimaru-san asked you that? I don't understand." Hinamori mumbled.

"Yes, well it was really hard answering the question. I mean, what am I suppose to say about getting sexually harassed at work, which I hope will never happen." Rukia paused. "Speaking of bosses, how are you? You know, with the whole Aizen-san thing?" Rukia asked in a smaller whisper. She was surprised to see Hinamori smile.

"Oh that, well it's been kind of tough, but I've gotten over it, in fact, I went on a date this last weekend." Hinamori replied.

For some reason, Rukia thought of Hitsugaya, and how he wouldn't admit the girl he went out with. "How did it go?" She asked.

"Well you see, I was nervous because it was a blind date, but he was really sweet, and very handsome, even though he was an inch shorter than me."

Rukia's eyes widened. "No, it just couldn't be…" She thought.

"What's his name?" Rukia asked.

"Hitsugaya Toshirou." She replied. Rukia's gasped

"What?" Hinamori asked, looking at Rukia in fear.

"Hinamori! I know him! He works at the other building! He's here _right now_!" Rukia whispered (extremely loudly). Hinamori shook her head.

"H-how do you know?"

Rukia rolled her eyes. "_Because_, this other girl and I were bugging him to tell us who he went out with on a blind date, so it must be you! Do you want to find him?"

"NO!" Hinamori shrieked, looking embarrassed. Rukia laughed "Fine fine, but you know, I doubt you'll be able to miss him with his bright hair." Rukia replied. Hinamori smiled.

"Speaking of bright hair, I think someone is looking for you." Hinamori replied, smirking at the crowd in front of them. Rukia turned her head, and sure enough, Ichigo was searching the crowd, though she could only see his head, and his blinding hair. She said goodbye to Hinamori, and stood from the table, making her way to the crowd.

Rukia instinctively wanted to hug him, or at least dance with him (though she wasn't so sure he would) but then she remembered that people still didn't know about them, unless Ichigo was going around and announcing it, which she doubted. So, with a sigh of frustration, Rukia tapped on Ichigo's shoulder, arms crossed over her chest. Ichigo turned around and looked down, smiling at her.

"I've been looking for you." He said. Rukia smiled back.

"Well you didn't do a good job, as I found you instead, though it's impossible to not find you since your hair is so bright."

Ichigo grabbed one of her hands, causing Rukia to blush because of all the people around her. "What are you doing?" She asked. Ichigo said nothing as he pulled her through the crowd.

"Where are we going?" She asked. He ignored her, and they moved out of the crowd and into the hallway.

"I wanted to talk to you." Ichigo finally said. Rukia leaned against the wall, and Ichigo stood next to her.

"Are you angry about what's going to happen?" Rukia asked.

"I was kind of expecting this to happen, but I still don't know how they pulled it off." He replied. Rukia tightened her grip on his hand.

"As long as nothing huge changes, I'm fine." Rukia replied, leaning her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. She opened them again when Ichigo pulled her off the wall, and hauled her further down the hallway.

"_Now_ where are we going?" Rukia asked in an aggravated tone. She sighed when Ichigo once again didn't reply, and decided to just go with the flow. Ichigo opened a door on the right, and pulled her inside. It was the lounge.

"What are we doing in here?" Rukia asked, looking around the room that she hadn't seen in who knows how long. She nearly squealed when Ichigo lifted her up and set her on the counter.

"You remember the last time I kissed you in this building, and we were interrupted?" Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded right after gulping. Why was he suddenly acting like this? Not that she minded…

"Well, how about we finish it?" He asked, his lips an inch away from hers. Rukia couldn't handle his breath so close to hers and latched her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ichigo moved his arms to her waist, and pulled her closer, deepening the already heated kiss. His tongue moved with hers in a gentle yet forceful manner, and Rukia found herself moaning against him, almost surprised the sound had come from her. Her eyes opened for a second when his hand slid on her thigh slowly, but he didn't stop the kissing.

Pretty soon his mouth left hers, kissing her jaw bone and cheek. "I thought you wanted to talk. What brought on this really?" Rukia asked breathlessly.

"I guess I just miss you." He whispered to her, and brought his lips back to hers. Rukia was so glad to know that she wasn't the only one that became desperate when seeing him because of their time away from one another.

His mouth continued to move along hers, and when Rukia started feeling brave enough, she moved one of her arms from around his neck, and brought it down his arm slowly, getting goose bumps. She was amazed at how hard his arms felt, even through the long sleeve shirt he wore. When her hand reached the bottom of his arm, Ichigo snatched her hand with his, entwining his fingers with hers, and wrapped his hand that was touching her thigh back around her waist. His lips left hers again and traveled to her neck, kissing it lightly.

Rukia was mesmerized.

She didn't know she could feel such a way.

What was it about Ichigo that made her want more? Why was his kiss, his feelings for her, which she still had no idea of how deep they went, and her set stone feelings for him that made her crave him every time he did even something small like holding her hand?

Rukia finally tugged her legs around Ichigo's waist, pulling him even closer to her. His chest was touching hers, and she couldn't help the cool shudder that surged through her body. Ichigo paused for a moment, bringing his face up to hers.

"What?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo smirked at her, his eyes slightly dazed. "I don't really know." He said softly, and once again, his lips crashed onto hers.

A door opening with lots of girly voices pulled Rukia from any pleasure she was feeling at the moment. Ichigo jerked away too, but kept his arms wrapped around Rukia's waist, as it was way too late to pull away.

A group of seven women that Rukia recognized, all happening to be the hugest gossipers of Ichigo's building, stood in the doorway, all staring at Ichigo and Rukia who were practically entangled with one another. All seven turned around quickly, some giggling while others only smiled with wide eyes. One even muttered a sorry.

The door closed behind, and when Rukia tried to pull away, Ichigo wouldn't let go. "Ichigo," She demanded, removing her arms from him. He did nothing to budge.

"I think we should stop, since those women are probably going to spill what they just saw." Rukia whispered. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Hell, you know what? I don't care. It's not like we're having an affair or something, so why is it such a big deal. Is it because we both work at the same corporation?" Ichigo asked.

"Well, it's not that, its just I'm sure those women will go make it sound like we are having some sort of affair, since we have technically snuck away from a corporate party to make out." Rukia replied, raising her eyebrow.

"Who the hell cares what they think, or what they're gonna say. I see you as something much more than that, so don't worry."

Rukia knew it was silly, but she blushed at his abrupt last line.

"Good, then let's get back to the party." Rukia said, pushing Ichigo off of her and hopping off the counter. Right before she reached the door, she felt Ichigo's hand grab her wrist. She turned around, curious to what he wanted.

Ichigo led her to the wall, leaned over her, and kissed her once again. It was much softer than the kisses from before, but held a lot of deepness. He pulled away following without saying a single word, and the two walked back to the party.

"Even though this party is kind of well…random, I think I like it." Ichigo added just before they met everyone at the party, hand in hand. Rukia laughed at his words, and walked in next to him, trying her best to ignore every look. She hated to say it, but because so many women had seen them together, the rumors flew about faster than ever, and almost every woman in view glanced at Rukia and Ichigo.

Rukia felt guilty when she saw Inoue in the crowd, her usual pretty smile replaced with something on a much sadder note. She had the feeling Inoue liked Ichigo, but Rukia did nothing to give the girl comfort as they walked onto the dance floor, wrapped their arms around each other, and began slow dancing, leaning into one another much more than any two non-dating coworkers would.

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**A/N: **WOO! More shameless kissing! But I can't help it, its just TOO much fun! And they got caught! And everyone knows! Oh, and how about Gin! He's so creepy with saying that he and Rukia have (or had) a little secret! Hitsugaya and Hinamori went out! I know there aren't a lot of details on that, and I apologize. So, what did you think? And technically guys, there are only two chapters left (because the last one is the epilogue). So, get ready, because the next two chapters are full of drama (and hopefully this chapter had good drama too!)

PLEASE REVIEW! This story is coming to a close pretty soon, and I really need your feedback of how things look overall. I've NEVER written a story this long, so I want to know how it sounds from you, ya know? I didn't say it last time, but thanks for all the continuous reviews I receive, seriously, I'm simply amazed!! I LOVE YOU!!


	26. Ch25: Day Old Hate

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

Just know for this chapter, that a lot can happen in a short period of time, thus why there are only two chapters left, instead of many more.

The title of this chapter is not mine, but a song title from Dallas Green. Beautiful song, you should check it out, as it goes with this chapter (I listened to it while I wrote this chapter.)

**XD** ENJOY **XD**

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.25 Day Old Hate**

Rukia woke up on a Wednesday morning, surprised to find her apartment cold. Rising from her bed with her Chappy blanket wrapped around her, she moved to the Air conditioner and turned the heater on a bit. She smiled when she opened the front door to her apartment to feel cold air. "It's May and it's cold." Rukia whispered, closing her eyes as the coolness hit her face.

It was like some sort of good omen for Rukia when a cold front would creep up suddenly during spring times. She loved winter, and to feel it at times when it wasn't supposed to come made her happy.

Getting ready for work followed, and Rukia realized it would officially be her fourth week at the new building. "The weeks have really gone by quick." Rukia mumbled, buttoning her skirt up. She didn't know why, but she wanted to dress extra cute. Perhaps it was because of the weather, or that Rukia at the moment felt content. In fact, she had felt content for two months, and she knew exactly why.

Remembering Ichigo would be picking her up in fifteen minutes, she prompted to finish getting ready, and even had time to have two glasses of her strawberry lemonade. Rukia spotted some ice cream in her freezer, and had to make a mental note to tell Ichigo that they would be going to her apartment that night.

She sat on the stairs as she waited for Ichigo to come, watching the people on the sidewalk walk by, some nearly jogging to reach their destinations, while others walked slowly, they too looking to like the feel of the cold. Rukia smiled again when she saw a Trail Blazer pull up. She made no movement when Ichigo opened the door to his car, closed it behind him, and made his way up the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked when he sat down next to her.

"I got here a little early, and I figured you would want to sit out in the cold since you like it so much." Ichigo said. Rukia smiled at him, taking his hand slowly. Ichigo could be sweet in the smallest of ways.

"So you'll be coming today since its Wednesday?" Rukia asked, glancing at Ichigo and his head full of orange. Ichigo nodded his head.

"I'll try to come and say hi to you, unless you're already in Ichimaru-san's office." Ichigo mumbled. Rukia chuckled.

"I try to avoid his office, you know that." Rukia added, looking back down at the stairs.

"Is everything ok still?" Ichigo asked, his voice more serious. Rukia knew what he meant, and kept her head forward.

"Yah, it's been fine." Rukia replied. She never told him about the incident when she saw Gin and Yoruichi talking to one another, because she didn't think she needed to.

"So Inoue-san is finally getting the hang of things?" Rukia asked. Ichigo sighed, leaning his free hand on the rail next to him.

"She's been doing a lot better, but every once in a while something gets her behind. I'm not stressing so much over that anymore, as I have other things to worry about." Ichigo mumbled.

Rukia nodded her head. "You'll be alright." She said. Ichigo stood following, pulling Rukia up with him.

"We better get going." Ichigo said, staring at the stairs beneath them. Rukia stumbled on her heels when they reached the bottom, causing Ichigo to laugh.

"You know you shouldn't wear shoes like that if you're gonna fall all the time." Ichigo mumbled, letting Rukia lean an arm on his shoulder as she checked to make sure her shoes were ok.

"I can walk in the shoes fine, there was just a rock there." Rukia added truthfully, though she knew Ichigo didn't care to hear it.

"You're short and you're clumsy, how attractive." Ichigo said sarcastically. Rukia hit his arm.

"And you're abusive." He mumbled. Rukia glared at him.

"Well you're rude, so we're even." Rukia said and climbed into the car. Ichigo shook his head with a smirk on his face and sat in his seat. After Rukia requested that Ichigo roll the windows down due to the nice weather, Ichigo turned his music up, which was a new band she had never heard of. Rukia was used to it, and didn't bother with asking who the band was, mainly because Ichigo never knew about ninety percent of the time.

The drive to work was pretty quiet, but enjoyable none the less. Rukia and Ichigo weren't usually very quiet, but she didn't mind. When the car stopped, Rukia was surprised that they were already there. She was extremely tempted to ask Ichigo to play hooky again…

"Don't trip on your heels again when you walk into the building." Ichigo said, smirking at Rukia. She rolled her eyes, placing her purse on her shoulder.

"I told you, it was a rock." She replied, leaning over on the seat to catch Ichigo's lips. He kissed her back fully, setting a hand gently on her shoulder. Rukia pulled away before she knew she wouldn't be able to, and said her goodbyes to him.

"Try to look for me when you come today." Rukia said as she opened the door.

"I'll try." He replied. She waved at him and closed the door. Rukia watched him drive off, glad he wasn't going to stay and make sure she didn't trip. To her luck, Rukia was trip free up the stairs, and entered the building as any normal person would. Before putting her things down in her office, she stepped into Hitsugaya's office, seeing Isane in there as always.

"Good morning Rukia-san." Isane said kindly, turning her head when she saw Rukia walk in.

"Good morning Isane-san, Hitsugaya-san." Rukia replied, looking at the short guy in his chair. He was reading some sort of file.

"Work hasn't even started yet and Hitsugaya-san is looking at something." Isane said teasingly, though Hitsugaya said nothing.

"How was your second date with—what is her name again?" Isane asked. Hitsugaya sighed, setting his paper down.

"Hinamori Momo." He replied with an aggravated tone. Isane chuckled, patting Hitsugaya's head.

"I really want to meet her, since Rukia-san knows her." Isane replied, ignoring Hitsugaya's hand trying to slap hers away.

Rukia smiled, happy to know that two of her friends were interested in one another. Though Hitsugaya was not exactly a close friend of any sorts, she liked hanging out with him, and wanted to possibly bring up the idea of her and Ichigo double-dating with them.

"I still can't believe she works at the other building, what a small world!" Isane exclaimed.

"Yah, I was really surprised when Hinamori told me. I still don't see how you two didn't run into each other at the party." Rukia mumbled. Hitsugaya shrugged his shoulders.

"We've gone out two times now, and we're going on a third date, so it's not so much of a problem." Hitsugaya added, a smug look on his face Rukia smiled.

"Well I'm glad for you and Hinamori. Anyways, I need to get to my office. I'm a little behind from yesterday, so I'll see you guys a little later ok?" Rukia asked. They both nodded and Rukia left, opening the door to her office for the first time that day.

Matsumoto was in there, looking upset about something. She confused Rukia, because sometimes she was kind and outgoing, while at other times she acted serious and straight to the point. Rukia really didn't know how to act around her.

"Sorry for coming in your office, but I wanted to ask you something." Matsumoto said, taking a seat in front of Rukia's desk. Rukia put her purse in her drawer and sat down next to the computer.

"Yes?" Rukia asked, giving Matsumoto her full attention. Matsumoto gave Rukia a smile.

"Relax a bit. You always act too formal around here Rukia-san, slouch a little." Matsumoto stated, fumbling with a pen next to her.

"Look, I wanted to ask you a personal question. You don't have to answer it, but I'm kind of on a limb here. " Matsumoto asked. Rukia nodded.

"Well look, I know you're dating Ichigo-san, and I'm just wondering, how do you deal with it? I mean, work wise. Isn't it weird?" Matsumoto asked. Rukia was kind of thrown off by the question, as she had no idea what Matsumoto meant by personal. She was glad Matsumoto at least had the kindness to warn Rukia before hand that it would be a rather personal one, unlike someone else she could think of…

"I don't know. I don't really see him since he's at the other building, so it's not really a problem, why?" Rukia asked. Just because the question had been a little strange didn't mean Rukia wasn't interested.

Matsumoto bit her lip before speaking. "I'm just curious, because of all the people around, and I'm sure people whisper about you, right?"

Rukia shrugged her shoulders. "If people do say something, I just ignore it. It can get annoying, but trying to stop it will only make it worse, causing more drama."

Matsumoto sighed. "Well sorry to ask such a random question, but I know a friend who's having some trouble, and I was just trying to help her out." She said as she stood from Rukia's seat. Rukia smiled at her.

"Just tell your friend not to worry, and even though it's probably basic advice, just don't listen. Make it obvious even. Kiss—I mean, tell you friend to kiss her boyfriend in front of everyone so they know, and the annoying rumors will eventually stop. That's what Ichigo and I finally did."

"Well what if that friend wanted to…break up with her boyfriend, because of reasons, surely that rumor would get out." Matsumoto mumbled, keeping her eyes glued to the pen.

"I don't know what to say about that one, as it hasn't happened to me personally yet. Just ignore the rumors once again I suppose."

Matsumoto smiled, nodding her head. "Right, of course. Thanks for hearing my strange question." She said standing on her feet.

Rukia shook her head. "No problem, I'll see you later."

"Oh, and I put your work in your slots as usual, if you need anything feel free to ask me." Matsumoto said before closing the door.

Rukia took the pen that Matsumoto had and put it back in her pen box, wondering why Matsumoto had asked her about something. "So she wants to break up with Ichimaru-san?" Rukia thought. It wasn't any of her business as to why she would want to break up with the weird guy, though Rukia couldn't see how she was dating him in the first place.

They day dragged on like any other day, though Rukia had some trouble copying some files because the copy machine was out of paper, so she had to search different floors to find a copy machine or some paper. It took a good half an hour, and Rukia hoped she wouldn't lag too far behind. Rukia felt relief in knowing that no one had asked to go into Gin's office lately, which was always a good thing. She knew she would have to get over her fear for him, but it was extremely difficult with that smile of his. Even though Rukia didn't like Aizen for what he did to Hinamori, she could at least talk to him without feeling fear, because something in Aizen's smile was comforting.

Rukia sat with Hitsugaya only at lunch because Isane was behind on some sort of project that was due.

"How has your day been going?" Rukia asked as she pulled her typical sandwich and strawberry lemonade out. Hitsugaya shrugged his shoulders. Rukia smiled when he pulled out a huge rib sandwich, stacked with barbeque galore.

"How can someone his size eat that?" Rukia thought.

"Ichimaru-san keeps throwing loads of junk at me, asking me to organize it. I'm not here to organize his stuff." Hitsugaya muttered, taking a huge bite into his sandwich. Rukia nodded and took a bite of her own, thinking that maybe she should bring bigger sandwiches to eat.

"What are you drinking? I always see you drinking it but I never ask." Hitsugaya said, staring at Rukia's pink container. She grinned.

"It's strawberry lemonade, homemade, would you like some?" She asked, feeling like some sort of dorky homemaker wife. He smirked and nodded.

"I actually like strawberry lemonade, so why not." Hitsugaya replied. Rukia smiled, happy to finally run into someone who appreciated not only lemonade, but the strawberry added to lemonade, making it all the better. "Stupid Ichigo…" She mumbled to herself. Come to think of it, Ichigo hadn't even_ tried_ her lemonade yet. Then again, he hadn't gotten much of a chance to, since every time he came over she was out.

Rukia poured a small amount into a coffee cup, and passed it to him. She watched curiously for his reaction.

"Hey, this isn't bad. You said it's homemade?" Hitsugaya asked, taking another sip. Rukia mentally squealed.

"Yes it is. If you want I can make you some." Rukia replied, hoping she didn't sound too eager. Hitsugaya nodded and drank the rest of it in one big gulp.

"It's nice to finally find someone who likes it." Rukia mumbled, taking a sip out of her own container. Hitsugaya nodded, and continued wolfing down his barbeque sandwich, which in about five minutes was completely gone. Rukia finished hers within ten minutes.

Lunch went by quickly, and after walking back to her office with Hitsugaya, Rukia said goodbye to him. Finding files she hadn't spotted before, Rukia took a deep breath and continued to do her work.

She smiled unexpectedly. Maybe it was that someone liked her strawberry lemonade, or for the fact that Ichigo kept popping into her mind. It always happened, but her day had been going extremely well. Even if the work wasn't different, or that the people she talked to acted overall the same, something about that day felt nice. Rukia turned to the window in her office, staring at the other buildings around. The sun was out with just a few clouds, cascading shadows in different spots. She smiled again, nearly tempted to open the door to her office.

Her cell phone rang.

Rukia snapped her head away from the window to dig for it. Her purse was shoved tightly into her drawer, and she nearly missed the phone call because it was buried at the bottom of her bag. She answered the phone quickly, hoping it wasn't a problem for her to be talking at work.

"Hello? Hey Hisana, how's it going?" Rukia paused, her face turning serious with each second. She closed her eyes, nodding her head.

"You got the test results back a few days ago? No its ok, I know you're busy. So —"

Her eyes widened, feeling a little bit of moistness.

"Breast c-cancer? Are they sure Hisana? I mean, it's a little soon to —" Rukia paused again, listening to her sister talk. She could feel a tear running down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry Hisana." Rukia paused again before speaking. "You're coming into town? That's great, I can't wait to see you. Yes, mom and dad will be thrilled that you'll be with them. No Hisana, don't worry about it. Ok, I know you've got a lot on your mind, but please, if you need anything, I'm here for you. I love you. Alright, bye."

Rukia hung up the phone and slowly sunk into her chair, bowing her head weakly. Another tear fell. "Hisana." Rukia whispered. She wanted to talk to her more and see her, but she couldn't, not yet. Hisana hadn't said much, just that the doctors knew that there was for sure breast cancer, but Hisana didn't say anything about the cancer spreading or anything, leaving Rukia completely lost.

Would Hisana have to do chemotherapy? Rukia didn't know a whole lot about it, but she knew that many patients diagnosed with cancer had to undergo it. She wiped another tear that fell down her cheek, and sat up, taking another deep breath.

"Pull yourself together." Rukia whispered to herself, stretching her back out. It wasn't like Rukia could do much at the moment. "I'll take tomorrow off so I can be with Hisana." Rukia said to herself.

Hisana was her other half, and knowing that Hisana was in pain gave Rukia pain. Rukia needed to be strong for her sister, and do everything in her power to comfort Hisana.

"Hisana would want me to work right now, and not worry." Rukia whispered, trying to form some sort of smile.

A knock on the door caused Rukia to jump. Matsumoto opened the door following, a weak smile on her face.

"Hey, Ichimaru-san wants to see you right now, he says it's very important." Matsumoto said, leaning her back against the side of the door. Her face changed to something of worry.

"Are you alright Rukia-san?" Matsumoto asked. Rukia put all her energy into the smile she gave Matsumoto.

"Yes, I'm just fine." Rukia replied, standing from her desk to leave her office. Matsumoto shrugged her shoulders and leaned off the door so Rukia could exit the office as well.

Matsumoto waved goodbye to Rukia when they reached the elevator. Rukia smiled back, and pressed the down arrow. It only took a few seconds for the elevator to come, and she was glad that no one else was on when she stepped aboard. When the elevator doors closed, Rukia moved to one of the corners, and stared up at the ceiling, forgetting about her fear of the elevator all together, though she had to ride the elevator so often it was kind of pointless to be afraid.

What could she do? Rukia felt confused suddenly. What happened to her beautiful and wondrous day?

For once, Rukia didn't feel fear when she walked to Gin's office, simply because of everything else on her mind. "How can Hisana even have cancer? I don't think anyone in our family has ever had it." Rukia said to herself.

She waited for the woman next to Gin's desk to call him to let him know Rukia was there, and when the woman pointed her finger, Rukia proceeded forward. Ichimaru Gin was sitting at his desk like always, looking exactly as he always did.

"Kuchiki-san, please take a seat." Gin offered, pointing to the seat directly in front of his desk. Rukia sat down, waiting for Gin to say what he wanted to say.

"Please bear with me as I say this, cause it's extremely important." Gin said, his arms planted on his desk. "Kuchiki-san, it's come to my attention that you've been doin really good here, gettin done what needs to get done ahead of time. So look,".

Ichimaru Gin stood from his desk and walked over to a shelf next to him, fiddling with something. "We're gettin a third building for our corporation, and we're making Kurosaki Ichigo the head boss over there, which means we'll be in need of a new assistant."

Rukia's eyes lit up, hoping that what he was going to say would be what she wanted to hear. She was going to be Ichigo's assistant. She would be with him and away from Ichimaru Gin.

Gin moved away from the bookshelf, and walked slowly over to where Rukia sat. She tensed in her seat a little. "So here's the deal, Matsumoto Rangiku has agreed to go and be his assistant, which leaves her current position over here open. Would you by any chance wanna take that position?" Gin asked.

Rukia's eyes dulled following. No, she didn't. She froze when a hand suddenly touched her face, caressing it. Rukia jumped up from the chair quickly, making a good three feet distance from Ichimaru Gin.

"So whatcha say? You're resume is impressive, and I think you'd be great with me." Gin said, moving closer to Rukia. She continued to back up, her fear for him clear. Rukia gasped when she hit a wall, finding it impossible to move in another direction.

He kept moving too, and Rukia only watched in horror when he stopped in front of her and leaned down. His hand touched her face again, caressing it in a much slower way than before.

"No…" She whispered, her eyes still wide.

"Why not? You'd be great assistance to me. Aizen-san and I wanna go for a fresher and younger look, and you scream that, not to mention ya know another business rival of ours pretty well."

"What-what are you t-talking about?" Rukia whispered, her voice breathless for some reason.

"Kuchiki Byakuya of course, and his successful business. You could really help with that ya know." He whispered into her ear, kissing her neck. The hand on her cheek traveled down her neck, reaching her chest slowly to where her buttoned shirt was. She flinched when his hand began to unbutton the shirt.

Another tear rolled down her cheek, and she suddenly felt anger. Why was she crying? She didn't want to cry in front of him. Ichimaru Gin didn't deserve any tears. He didn't deserve anything.

"NO!" Rukia yelled, and pushed the disgusting man off of her. Ichimaru's face did not look happy, and he quickly grabbed her wrist.

"If ya turn this down, then you can kiss your career with Seireitei Inc. or any other company goodbye." He warned, tightening his grip on Rukia's wrist. She tore her arm away from him and made her way out of the room as quickly as she could.

Rukia ignored any glances she could, and took the stairs to avoid people. She kept her head down, feeling ashamed for some reason. Rukia was tempted to stop and just let her tears fall, but she didn't want anyone to see her looking so pathetic and weak.

"What's wrong with me?" Rukia thought, quickly running down the stairs. Her office was right next to the stairs, and without turning anything off or putting anything away, she grabbed her purse and jacket, and made her way out of her office for the last time.

Rukia went down the stairs the rest of the way as well, glad everyone else liked to be normal and take the elevator. When she reached the first floor, she opened the door quickly; looking up to make sure no one would see her crying. Seeing the coast was clear, Rukia moved towards the entrance quickly, but not before bumping into someone.

She knew it was rude, but she said nothing and walked past the person. "Rukia! Wait!" The voice called from behind. Rukia froze, instantly recognizing the voice.

Ichigo walked up next to her, concern filling his face. "Rukia, what's wrong, why are you crying?" He asked in a softer voice. Rukia stared up at him. She wanted to burst, and say everything to him then and there. How she just found out her sister had cancer, and how Ichimaru Gin had just molested her.

But because Rukia was Rukia, stubborn, and at the moment too upset to really want to say anything, even to Ichigo, who made her feel safer than anyone or anything in the world, shook her head, looking down at the ground.

"I-I have to go Ichigo." She said, turning her heel to leave. Ichigo, being stubborn as well, grabbed a hold of her arm. Feeling too much, Rukia yanked her arm out of his grip.

"Look, I can't talk about it right now ok? I'll talk to you later." Rukia said, turning quickly to walk away. She heard Ichigo calling her name, but she ignored him. She called for a taxi as quickly as she could, getting in without a second glance. Rukia knew she was being foolish, but she just couldn't take it anymore.

Rukia never did like Seireitei Inc. She wouldn't say it was a waste of time, because it taught her a lot of how the business world works, and though Rukia felt strange to admit it, she wouldn't have met Ichigo.

She thought of the time she nearly quit before, because of Ichigo, but she was pulled back, because of his kind words, which motivated her. But nothing could bring her back, not a single word. Not even Ichigo, though he really didn't have anything to do with why she was currently leaving the corporation.

"He's going to be in charge of another building." Rukia whispered to herself, clenching the side of her purse. How would they cope with everything? How could Rukia explain to Ichigo about her sister, who was sick? Another tear slipped out of her eye, slowly falling. Rukia made no movement to wipe it off.

She would go home for a little while, and when she felt good enough, she would call someone, maybe Hinamori, or even Renji. Rukia really missed Renji. "Why can't I talk to Ichigo?" Rukia asked herself. What scared her about wanting to talk to him? She loved him, so why couldn't he know?

Rukia would tell him, but not yet, not until she talked to someone else first. Her mind screamed to talk to Hinamori, because she was always the person Rukia went to during tough times.

It was funny how her day had turned into something so horrible.

One minute she was smiling, ready for the future ahead of her, and the next, her heart felt confused and lost, descending in a different direction that Rukia could no longer control.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **I know, this was kind of depressing, but I wanted it to be this way. If I were Rukia, I think I would have a hard time talking to Ichigo, simply because she ran into him right after it happened. Anyways, what's going to happen now? Why am I ending it after the next chapter? Well, you'll just have to read and see. Will Ichigo find out somehow? How will he react? Poor Rukia, having to deal with her sister and now her ex-boss. I feel for her (and Hisana of course). Some people also pointed out that I haven't been doing Gin's accent, and I apologize. I tried writing it some in this chapter, and I'll probably go back and edit the previous ones.

Anyways, I know this chapter was kind of on a gloomier note, but do review! You know I love them! Only ONE more chapter, and then….the EPILOGUE! I can't believe it… Seriously…

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!


	27. Ch26: Unexpected Confession

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I have nothing to say, except that…

I REACHED ONE THOUSAND REVIEWS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Ok, sorry. I just, I never thought I would reach such a limit, even if there are a ton of chapters to this story…WOW. Anyways, last chapter guys. Really, it's the LAST chapter, minus the epilogue. So, I hope you like it, because I worked extra hard on it since it was the last chapter and all. And guys, this was a difficult chapter for me, so really, I hope you like it.

**XD** ENJOY **XD**

**Hierarchy**

**Ch.26 Unexpected Confession**

She was sitting next to a bed, staring at a person who looked just like her, except the person looked weaker, frailer. She reached out a hand to the person, holding it tightly.

"Hisana." Rukia whispered, smiling at her sister. Hisana smiled back, tucking in the last part of the comforter into her bed.

"Don't worry so much Rukia. Really, the doctors somehow caught the cancer early enough, and I can start the chemo treatments soon. That is why I'll be staying with mom and dad in Tokyo, so I'll be pretty close to you for however long it takes me to get better." Hisana replied. Rukia smiled in return.

"You know you didn't have to come to this hotel Hisana. I have plenty of room at my—"

"Don't be ridiculous Rukia. I know you have a one bedroom apartment, and until I know for sure when I'm going to mom and dads', I'll stay here. Plus, this hotel is completely paid for, so why not take advantage of what my boss treats me too. It would be rude to turn it down anyways."

Rukia sighed. "If you say so." Rukia replied, trying not to stare at Hisana in any strange sort of way. It scared Rukia to know that her sister was sick with a disease. Hisana was lucky they caught it in time, but she still feared for her. Rukia knew enough about chemotherapy to know that it was not anything fun to go through.

"How long do you plan to stay today? I'm sure you can't miss too much work." Hisana said, taking a seat slowly onto her bed. Rukia tensed up, remembering what had only happened the previous day.

"I took the whole day off." Rukia replied. She couldn't bring herself to tell Hisana what happened. Hisana already had to deal with so much, and for Rukia to suddenly bring up her own problems didn't seem right at the moment. Rukia needed to be there for Hisana.

"You're taking the whole day off? Well I can't argue with that, since the most you and I ever get to spend together is a couple of hours. Now we get an entire day? That's just awesome." Hisana replied, grinning. Rukia chuckled back, looking around Hisana's room.

"This hotel looks expensive. It's nice that your boss did this for you." Rukia said, trying not to think of her ex-boss, who was just the opposite.

"Yes, well I had to tell her short notice of what was happening, and I was kind of afraid, because its not easy telling your boss that you aren't going to be working for the next month, even if it is for being ill. I knew she would be understanding, but I was almost blown away when she paid for this hotel, and the flight here. People really surprise you." Hisana mumbled.

"You're right, people can surprise you." Rukia replied, drifting into thoughts of Ichigo. She still hadn't told him anything. Rukia did call Hinamori though, and Hinamori, hearing how upset Rukia sounded, came over to her house after work the day before. Rukia told Hinamori everything. How she had started off with such a good day, and how she received a phone call after lunch, talking about her sister. How Ichimaru Gin wanted her to be his assistant, and how he touched her, sending chills down her spine, and brought unwanted tears to her eyes. Hinamori had been very sympathetic, and comforted Rukia.

_Flashback_

"_Does Ichigo know?" Hinamori asked with concern. Rukia shook her head._

"_No he doesn't, and I'm not sure how I want to tell him. How do I Hinamori?" Rukia asked. A tear suddenly fell down her face, and she wiped it away quickly, not wanting Hinamori to see her so down and upset. Hinamori shook her head._

"_I'm sure it will be hard, but he deserves to know Rukia. He cares about you so much. I saw him yesterday, and he looked pretty upset about something, not that I'm good at reading him or anything." Hinamori told her, rubbing a hand on Rukia's back._

"_I just can't believe it all happened at once. How do I tell my sister that I don't have a job when she has her own problems?" Rukia asked._

"_Take a deep breath and relax. You're a strong person Rukia, and I know you'll get through this. I can't believe how sick of a man Ichimaru Gin is. He needs to be fired." Hinamori muttered. Rukia nodded._

"_For now though Rukia, I would worry about your sister. I know how much you care for her, and I'm sure it's hard for you. Go and visit her tomorrow, and maybe let Ichigo know where you are, so he doesn't panic. He after all, has no idea of what is going on. If I see him tomorrow, I'll tell him I talked to you and not to worry, but really, he deserves to know." Hinamori stated, her eyes holding determination._

"_I'll tell him, I promise. I know he deserves to know." Rukia said._

_End of flashback_

Rukia called Ichigo that morning like Hinamori told her to do, saying she wouldn't be going to work. He tried to ask her questions about the day before, but Rukia told him she was fine, and that she would talk to him about it later. She hated trying to act fake to him, even over the phone, but Rukia wasn't ready to say anything yet.

A knock on the door snapped Rukia out of her thoughts, and Hisana began to stand from the couch. "Sit down Hisana, I'll get it." Rukia said, pushing on Hisana's shoulder lightly so she fell back to the bed.

"I didn't order room service so I don't know who would be coming." Hisana mumbled. Rukia turned to her and shrugged her shoulders. When she reached the door, she checked through the peep whole. Her eyes immediately widened.

Rukia opened the door following, and allowed her brother to enter the room. He looked as he always did, with his head up high, and his eyes wary, yet hard. Byakuya scanned the room, his eyes stopping when he saw Hisana sitting on the bed.

"I'm glad you came Nii-san." Rukia mumbled from the side. Byakuya could be a little intimidating, even to Rukia. He nodded at her as he always did, and walked, no glided, further into the room. Hisana kept her pretty smile up.

"Nii-san, how did you know we were here?" Hisana asked. Byakuya stood in front of her, staring at her in an odd way.

"Father called me telling me what happened, and so I came to visit you, though I can't stay very long." Byakuya replied. Hisana nodded, keeping her smile. After she offered him the seat next to her bed, he sat down.

Rukia sat on the bed next to Hisana, looking back at her brother, speechless of what to say to him.

"When do you start the chemotherapy?" Byakuya asked.

"I'm supposed to start this weekend, but we'll see." Hisana replied, her eyes averting down to her lap. Rukia suddenly felt even more pain for Hisana. Hisana was trying to put up a smile for Rukia and Byakuya, and every little move that Hisana made gave away her own pain.

Byakuya's eyebrow furrowed for a second, but he closed his eyes, nodding. "And you'll be staying in Tokyo?" Byakuya asked.

"Yes, mom and dad were more than thrilled to have me. Mom was actually the one to suggest it, and it sounded nice to be with them. I haven't spent much time with them in a long time." Hisana replied, smiling weakly. Byakuya nodded and turned to Rukia.

"I'm glad you are here for her Rukia, she needs you right now." Byakuya said.

"She needs you to Nii-san, she needs us both." Rukia replied. Hisana laughed.

"You two sound more like my parents, geez." She teased. Rukia laughed too; glad to give Hisana something to laugh about.

The rest of the day was spent with Hisana. Byakuya stayed for several hours, though he didn't say too much. Rukia and Hisana played a bunch of board games, and Byakuya only watched. He never did like board games after all. When it was lunch time, everyone ordered room service, though Hisana couldn't order very much. Even though a lot was going on, Rukia was happy she was with Hisana and Byakuya. She couldn't remember the last time the three of them had been together to simply enjoy the other's company. Byakuya acted like Byakuya, but would occasionally pull out a smirk, which in his case was a smile. He was never one to laugh out loud, or even smile really, but Rukia knew him well, as did Hisana.

"I'm glad you came Nii-san, though I wish you could have stayed longer." Hisana said, walking with Byakuya to the door. Rukia followed behind.

"I'm sorry Hisana, Rukia. I promise to come and visit you again." Byakuya replied, looking at both Hisana and Rukia. They smiled at him in return, and watched him leave. Rukia was still surprised he came over, and so abruptly, but was glad to see him.

After Byakuya left, Rukia and Hisana were left alone once again, not that Rukia minded in the least.

"You know, I haven't asked you about your boyfriend yet have I?" Hisana asked, a playful smirk on her pale face. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Why do you want to suddenly know about that?" Rukia asked back in a mocking tone. Hisana smiled and smacked a pillow on Rukia's head.

"Because, I don't know, I know you've had boyfriends before, but I sense something different about this one. You did admit to me that you were in love with him, so have your feelings deepened?" Hisana asked. Rukia averted her eyes to the ground, much like Hisana had previously done.

"Yes, they have. I know I love him, but I'm not sure how he feels." Rukia mumbled. Hisana's smile dropped.

"He hasn't said he loves you yet?" Hisana asked curiously.

"No, he hasn't, but Ichigo is kind of inexperienced, and it's only been a few months. I'm not expecting things from him so quickly."

Hisana nodded. "Well that's ok then, if you feel alright about it. I have another question." Hisana asked, her playful smile returning. "Have you two had sex yet?"

Rukia knew it was stupid to do in front of her twin sister, who knew everything, well almost everything about her, but she couldn't help but blush.

"No Hisana, we haven't." Rukia replied. Hisana laughed.

"You're so shy about it Rukia! When are you going to lose that virginity of yours?" Hisana asked. Rukia blushed again.

"You make it sound like its something necessary. Besides, it's not like you're any kind of pro." Rukia snapped back. Hisana only continued to laugh.

"At least I've had my share." She replied. Rukia smiled, and joined in with the laughter.

Six o'clock came quicker than Rukia expected. She didn't want to go home, and she really didn't need to. Leaving Hisana all alone would not be for the best, but Rukia was very tired, as she had picked up Hisana from the airport at five that morning.

"I should probably head home for a little while, but I can come back if you want." Rukia said, standing from the couch in Hisana's room. Hisana shook her head.

"You've been here about twelve hours Rukia, though three of them were spent sleeping, so don't worry about it. Besides, I'm sure you want to see your boyfriend." Hisana replied.

Rukia smiled. "Yah, he's probably wondering where I am." She said, feeling a little uneasy still about seeing Ichigo. She needed to tell him, as he was probably wondering why she hadn't gone to work that day. Rukia wondered if people knew about her quitting, and if they were whispering about it.

"I would love to meet him, so you should bring him tonight or tomorrow or something." Hisana said, standing to walk Rukia to the doorway. Rukia gave Hisana a big hug, closing her eyes. Hisana hugged her back just as tightly.

"Be careful ok?" Rukia asked, keeping her grip on Hisana. Hisana chuckled.

"I think I'll survive for a night." She replied. Rukia pulled away, smiling at her sister.

"If you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me." Rukia stated. Hisana nodded, and gave Rukia one last hug. She left the hotel following, thinking about her entire day with Hisana. Rukia was glad she had the day with Hisana, even if it was caused because of something as serious as cancer. She called for a cab when she was outside, and looked up at the hotel before she stepped into the vehicle. Rukia told the driver her address following, and the car began moving. She closed her eyes for a second, letting some inner turmoil out. Rukia only let out a deep breath, but it did help relax her. She remembered Hinamori's words.

"_Take a deep breath and relax. You're a strong person Rukia, and I know you'll get through this."_

Rukia would get through everything, because she had friends and family that loved her, even if it did sound a little silly and cliché. She felt she was ready to tell Ichigo, as she had waited long enough, but how did she go about telling him? How on Earth would he react? Rukia wasn't sure she wanted to know, but Ichigo was important to her. She loved him.

She nearly gasped in surprise when she saw a Trail Blazer sitting outside her small apartment complex that led up the stairs. Nervously, Rukia paid the taxi driver, and got out of the car. Ichigo wasn't inside or near his car. "Maybe it's another identical Trail Blazer." Rukia mumbled. She highly doubted it, and to confirm her theory, she turned to where the stairs were, and looked up.

Just as she suspected, Ichigo was sitting on the top step. His elbows were leaning on his knees as he stared back at her. Because it was beginning to get dark, Rukia couldn't exactly see his expression. So, after taking another deep breath, Rukia ascended up the stairs, ready for what she was going to say. Her heartbeat increased with each step she took, and Rukia gulped, hoping Ichigo didn't hear it.

Ichigo stood from the stairs when Rukia was almost to him. She could see his expression, but for some reason, it was unreadable.

"How long have you been sitting there?" She asked. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably half an hour, though I wasn't sure if you would come or not. I tried calling you, but you wouldn't answer, so I just came and figured I'd wait a little while." Ichigo replied. Rukia felt a little guilty, and was surprised she hadn't heard her phone ring. Then again, she had been away from it for quite some time, all day in fact.

"I'm sorry, I was with my sister all day." Rukia replied. Ichigo nodded, not replying with anything.

"You could have used the key I hid underneath that plant you know." Rukia said, pointing at the small tree next to her house. Ichigo sighed.

"Don't worry, I survived." He replied shortly. Rukia sighed and opened the door to her house, turning her living room light on. She set her purse down, and when Rukia turned around, Ichigo was gone. Seeing that no other lights were on, she searched around her house. Walking back into the living room, she saw the light to the balcony on. Rukia poked her head out the window to see Ichigo leaning on the side rail to her tiny balcony. There wasn't even a door to get out, just a crummy window.

"Did you climb out there?" Rukia asked, surprised. Ichigo nodded.

"How come you never come out here? The view is kinda nice." Ichigo replied. Rukia sighed, realizing that Ichigo wanted her to join him. She struggled at first, because of the skirt she had on, but Ichigo soon helped her. When one of her legs was over the window, Ichigo placed his hands on her waist and pulled her over, almost like a five year old. Rukia turned away to let the embarrassment wash over, but moved next to him.

"I used to come out here when I first moved here, but I guess I just forgot about it." Rukia replied, staring down at the cars. They were only two floors up, so it wasn't anything spectacular, but she could almost see the top of the other buildings, and the sky looked pretty since the sun was setting. Though she was afraid of dark and small places, she did love high places.

Remembering that Ichigo was next to her, she closed her eyes, knowing what she would have to say.

"Listen Ichigo, about yesterday, I —"

"I know what happened Rukia." Ichigo cut in. Rukia looked up at him in surprise. He kept his eyes forward, but Rukia could see anger in his face.

"How did you find out?" Rukia asked, trying to contain her surprise. Ichigo tore his eyes away from the streets and looked at Rukia.

"I thought Hinamori-san might know something, so I asked her. She wouldn't tell me at first, but she finally caved in, and told me." Ichigo muttered. Rukia looked away. It wasn't like she didn't tell Hinamori to not tell Ichigo, so she had no reason to be mad.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, I've just had a lot on my mind." Rukia mumbled.

"How is your sister by the way?" Ichigo suddenly asked. Rukia kept her head down.

"She's good. I was with her all day today. It was nice spending a lot of time with her."

Rukia looked up at Ichigo, and his face looked angry still. He didn't speak for a long time, and so Rukia didn't say anything either. Ichigo already knew what happened, so she wasn't sure of what to say.

"I can't tell you how pissed off I am that Ichimaru Gin would do something so low. Are you ok?" Ichigo asked.

"I-I don't know to be honest, not because of what he did, but because of everything. I mean, I went into Ichimaru-san's office right after I found Hisana had cancer, and it was just too much. I saw you minutes following, and I was too much of a mess to say anything. I'm sorry." She said softly, her voice a whisper towards the end. Ichigo's hand reached over and grabbed hers.

He turned his body towards Rukia, looking down at her. "Did he hurt you though?" He asked. Rukia stared back at him.

"He couldn't have hurt me if he tried." Rukia replied, looking at Ichigo sharply. It was true. Rukia knew from the start that Ichimaru Gin was a little…off, and she wasn't going to say that it truly scared her, but honestly, she was more concerned about her sister over her job, which she didn't have anymore.

Ichigo smirked at her, entwining his fingers with hers. Rukia leaned her head against his chest for a moment before looking back at the scenery.

"So I'm guessing you quit Seireitei Inc. yesterday?" Ichigo asked. Rukia chuckled lightly.

"Yes I did." She replied.

Ichigo scratched his head. "Then that makes both of us unemployed." He replied.

Rukia stood up straight, eyes wide in full surprise. Did he really…just say what she think he said?

"Ichigo, what do you mean?" She asked shakily. Ichigo smiled, looking ahead.

"Well as you know, I was going to run a third branch of Seireitei Inc., and today I met with Ichimaru-san and Aizen-san to make everything official in a meeting. It wasn't just them though. There were a bunch of other big business owners that were there to celebrate the news of Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san's new positions. It's some sort of tradition all the big wig companies have with one another."

Ichigo paused before continuing. "Anyways, Hinamori-san had told me everything that morning, and if you think I'm pissed off right now, then you should have seen me earlier today. During the meeting, Ichimaru-san stood up to say a few choice words about how he was thrilled to be taking the new position, and started going off on responsibility. Well, knowing that his words were bull, I couldn't stop myself in standing up, and punching the bastard square in the face." 

"Ichigo," Rukia whispered.

"The nerve of that guy, saying how much he cared for Seireitei Inc., and that he would take good care of his employees. It really pissed me off Rukia, because he was completely lying. They were a lie, and knowing that Ichimaru Gin hurt you didn't sit well with me."

Rukia dropped her head again. She was crying again, and she felt so stupid. Why did she have to cry? It wasn't like she cried all the time, so why? Rukia never did like crying, because in a sense, it betrayed a person. Whether she liked tears or not, they could never fool anyone.

"Ichigo, you're so stupid." She whispered. Why was she upset in the first place? Why did she almost feel…mad at him. Ichigo had stood up for her, and yet, she was upset? She was forced to look up when Ichigo's hand gently moved to her chin, pulling her head up. With his other hand, he wiped a tear off her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" He asked in a soft tone. Rukia shook her head.

"I can't believe you punched him." Rukia replied, wiping another tear. Great, she was really becoming a mess.

Ichigo smiled at her, a real genuine one. "It's not like I've never punched a guy before for you." He replied. Rukia did not find his comment funny, and dropped her head again. So instead, Ichigo squatted down in front of her. She sighed stubbornly, actually tempted to move her head back up.

"Rukia, I don't think you realize how much you mean to me." He suddenly said. The words caught Rukia's full attention, even though he always had her attention.

"You wanna know why I punched him, why I wanted you as my secretary all those months ago, and why I kissed you I don't know—about five months ago at the masquerade ball?"

Rukia waited for him to answer, having no idea of what he would say. "Because there was always something about you that really confused me Rukia." Ichigo replied, puzzling Rukia even more. Ichigo must have seen her lost expression, and began talking once again.

"I mean, I obviously didn't know who you were that night of the ball, but something about you caught my attention, which almost never happens. And then out of all the employees at Seireitei Inc., you for some reason stood out to me as a good and hard worker, so I told Aizen-san you would be good. I wouldn't have punched Ichimaru Gin if it hadn't been someone else, hell, because Rukia, I don't like seeing you upset. In fact, I've never liked it. You wanna know why I came to your house to ask you to come back to Seireitei all those months ago, because I hated seeing you so angry."

Ichigo paused again. "Because Rukia, I think I'm in love with you."

Rukia could only stare down at him, because there was nothing else she could really say. Why was he all of the sudden telling her? Why was he talking about things that happened well in the past, five months in the past at least. Why was he suddenly giving her answers?

She had not expected to hear the words from his mouth, and she had not planned on how she would react to anything he just told her.

So, because Rukia had no idea of what to do, she brought her lips down to his. It was the only thing she could think of, because her body and mind told her to do so. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and pushed a little harder onto his lips. Ichigo placed his arms tightly around her waist, kissing her back fully.

Rukia didn't understand what was happening. Was she in…shock perhaps? Her problems suddenly drifted away, and Rukia remembered why she had fallen so deeply for Ichigo.

She moved away following, and Ichigo stood off the ground (because he had still been in squatting position).

"My sister Hisana wants to meet you." Rukia said to him, leaning her arms against his chest as she looked up at his face.

"Yah, I want to meet her too, since you've met my wonderful family." Ichigo replied sarcastically. Rukia laughed, leaning her head against Ichigo's chest again.

Ichigo made her feel safe, and knowing that he loved her, and knowing that he protected her countless times helped her realize how lucky she was to have him, even if it did sound a bit corny.

Rukia and Ichigo went back into the living room following. "Ichigo, I don't think you've ever tried my strawberry lemonade." Rukia said, remembering suddenly. Ichigo sighed, taking a seat on her couch as he always did.

"I don't think I have either, and to be honest, I'm a little afraid." Ichigo replied. Rukia smiled in the kitchen, pouring him a huge glass. She brought the cup out and handed it to him.

"That's a lot of lemonade Rukia, why do you make this anyways?" He asked, staring at the cup with almost fear.

"I told you, it's a family recipe. I used to drink it all the time with Hisana when I was little, so I guess it makes me feel like a little kid." Rukia replied. Ichigo sighed and slowly took a sip of the lemonade. Rukia anxiously awaited Ichigo's reaction, judging his every movement as he sipped on the lemonade.

"Did you like it?" Rukia asked impatiently. Ichigo stared at the cup, swishing it around in his hand.

"Honestly, I thought I would hate it, but you're in luck, I think I might drink this entire cup full, and ask for seconds." Ichigo replied. Rukia grinned from ear to ear, feeling satisfaction in her life. Ichigo acted on his words, and drank the entire cup.

When Rukia came back out of the kitchen, she threw herself on Ichigo's lap, instead of doing the usual "sit next to him and get all snuggly". Ichigo didn't seem to mind though, and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"So how about we go celebrate our unemployment?" Rukia asked. Ichigo sighed.

"You know it's going to suck trying to find a new job right now, and the word is going to spread about how I bravely punched Ichimaru Gin in the face with no explanation of why. He probably has a broken nose."

Rukia laughed. "Well, if worst comes to worst, there's always my brother." She replied. Ichigo shrugged his shoulders, though something told her he didn't feel too comfortable about the idea.

"Then again, we probably shouldn't spend our money, since we might not get any for a long time." Rukia stated.

"Don't forget about worker's comp." Ichigo grumbled.

"How about we go and see Hisana. I told her I might come back tonight, and she's been wanting to meet you." Rukia suggested. Ichigo smirked.

"I don't know, I might freak out at seeing two equally short women."

Rukia smacked Ichigo on the head, even in their cute and cozy position. Arguing followed, and ended up with a deep fierce kiss, only that time, the kiss did not let up as it usually did, because there was nothing to stop the two from doing such an action, or for other people to barge in, forcing the two to stop.

It was safe to say that Rukia would have a big grin the next time she saw Hisana, which would probably have to wait until the following day.

In the midst of it all, Rukia looked at Ichigo's ring. It felt like a strange symbol to her, and the word hierarchy on the ring meant something completely different.

A corporation in a way could be seen as a hierarchy, with all the different levels and positions people held. Come to think of it, Rukia and Ichigo's relationship had started out as a hierarchy. He was close to the top, and she was at the bottom.

But as their bond grew, and Rukia's rank increased, things changed, views changed, until there was no longer a hierarchy. They were equal to one another.

Especially since both of them were officially unemployed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**A/N: **Wow, the end. I can't…believe it… I'm not going to into emotional mode right now, because we still have the epilogue to go. Before people go off on saying how this ended kind of quickly, let me ask you, how did you expect this story to end? From the beginning I wanted this to be the ending, because it's simple, and leaves the ending…happy (minus Hisana). But the epilogue is really important I suppose, because it talks about…things you don't know about yet (obviously). So please, I had to end this somewhere, and I know it didn't seem like there was a ton ton TON of IchiRuki moments, but I had to end this here, because otherwise I wouldn't have known how to end this story.

**OK**, so I have a problem. I really don't know if I want to write a sequel, because I know a lot of people weren't mentioned that wanted to be mentioned, but I'm thinking of writing a lot of it in the epilogue. If I wrote a sequel, the plot would definitely not be as good (I don't think at least), and I don't know if I would be interested enough to do it. Some stories don't need sequels, and I have this feeling this might be one of them. I just don't want to ruin this story by adding another (which has happened with other stories). I know a lot of you are going to vote for a sequel (because you have before), but I'm not sure anymore. Please don't be mad if I don't do a sequel, because I'm not done writing fanfiction yet (I still have other stories to finish and other ideas I need to let out). If anyone has ideas for my sequel or something, I'm willing to listen.

Anyways, thank you SO MUCH for all the wonderful reviews. Seriously, all of them have been awesome and encouraging, I really feel the love! And let me just say it again

I REACHED ONE THOUSAND REVIEWS WOOH!

Ok…so one more CHAPTER! **H**A**P**P**Y** N**E**W **Y**E**A**R**S**!


	28. Epilogue: Cinderello

**Disclaimer:** The only kind of bleach I own keeps my underwear nice and white.

I present to you all…

The very last chapter…

The epilogue…

Just to let you know, there will not be a sequel, so it really is the end folks. Hope you enjoy! This chapter is Ichigo's POV.

**XD** ENJOY **XD**

**Hierarchy**

**Epilogue: Cinderello**

_EIGHT MONTHS LATER _

Ichigo woke up in a heart-beat when the annoying singing Chappy alarm went off to his right.

"Rukia…turn it off." He grumbled, placing a pillow over his head. The alarm didn't stop, and with a loud sigh, Ichigo sat up, ready to scream about Rukia.

But she wasn't there.

Sighing again, Ichigo smacked his hand down onto the alarm with his fist, wondering why stupid Yuzu had given Rukia the alarm as a present in the first place. "It's nine already?" He whined, and pulled out of bed.

Taking a shower woke Ichigo up a little more, and when he stepped out, he walked into the living room with his towel on.

"Hey Rukia, what time are they coming today?" He asked, grabbing a towel from the laundry basket and running it through his hair. Rukia stared at him for a moment before replying.

"Noon, so I suggest you get going. We have a lot of cleaning to do today." Rukia mumbled, glancing around the house with an almost disgusted look. Ichigo nodded, and rolled his eyes when Rukia wasn't looking.

She moved into his house about four months back, because he saw no point in them not living together since she usually slept at his house anyways. Ichigo put his clothes on, which consisted of some jeans, a plain shirt, and a nice and casual button up shirt to cover. He was brought up by his dad (though mainly his sister) to dress nice, and since his family was coming over (and this time they were invited) he decided to look somewhat appropriate in front of them.

Rukia was already beginning to clean the living room when Ichigo came out of their bedroom, and avoided her by sneaking into the kitchen. Seeing that they were out of lemonade, Ichigo made himself a cup of coffee to get his energy going. He was always a grouch in the mornings, but something was off that day.

"Hurry up Ichigo, I need you're help with the yard."

"Great, I'm glad you told me that_ after_ I took a shower." Ichigo shot back, chugging down his cup of coffee, which burned his tongue. He walked into the living room with Rukia's butt practically in his face. Ichigo stared at it a little longer than necessary before snapping out of his fantasies.

"What are you doing?" Ichigo asked. Rukia pulled her head out of the couch, coughing as dust flew out.

"Do you know how dirty it is in here? We really need to clean it." Rukia replied and stood up, moving to find a vacuum.

"You sound way too much like Yuzu, besides, do we really need to clean up so nicely?" He asked. Rukia crossed her arms.

"Not that you care, but my family is coming over too, minus my parents. Hisana and Byakuya both are coming over for the first time, and it would be nice if they could see a clean house. Don't forget, Hinamori, Hitsugaya, Renji, and Inoue are coming as well."

Ichigo nodded, scratching the back of his clean head that would soon be engulfed with sweat because he was going to work on the yard. "Alright, so here's the deal. How about I clean the inside, you know, the kitchen, the bathrooms, and the living room, while you work on the backyard?" Rukia suggested.

"They aren't going out there are they?" Ichigo asked, trying to worm his way out of going out into the heat.

"I don't know, and because I don't know, I think we should clean it. You don't have to go crazy out there, just pull some weeds that look bad and try to mow the lawn as best as you can." Rukia replied. Ichigo nodded, flustered at Rukia, the girl that literally drove him crazy.

And because she drove him crazy, he kissed her before turning to the yard, because he couldn't help himself. Rukia tried to deny it, but he knew she couldn't either.

The cleaning followed, and Rukia eventually came outside to help Ichigo with the yard (because she finished her chores already). Ichigo had to take another shower, and since they were both in a rush, they went ahead and took one together, because of the hurry (that's the excuse Ichigo made at least for Rukia to take a shower with him). At twelve o'clock on the dot, the doorbell rang.

Ichigo watched with humor as Rukia put some cheap lip gloss on, and stalked to the door, pulling herself together right before turning the door handle. The first three people were Ichigo's family, and he was thoroughly surprised to see them actually on time.

"Rukia-san! It's so nice of you to invite us over instead of us just coming over unannounced!" Isshin cried, giving Rukia a hug. She patted his shoulder, and pulled away from the happy man. Yuzu had a plate of brownies in her hands, while Karin had her hands shoved in her pockets, looking bored as she always did.

"Where should I put this Rukia-san?" Yuzu asked politely. Rukia pointed to the kitchen, and Yuzu set the brownies on the counter. Ichigo sat down on the couch, and Isshin joined him. Only a second later did the door knock again. Seeing that Rukia was busy doing something in the kitchen, Ichigo sighed, stood up from the couch, and opened the door.

Ichigo's breath caught in his throat when Kuchiki Byakuya stood right in front of him, emotionless expression plastered on. Next to him was Rukia's double, Hisana. Cancer free for the past three months, Hisana smiled next to her older brother.

"Oh, come in." Ichigo said, moving out of the way so Byakuya and Hisana could come inside. He was a little nervous, because despite that Byakuya was Ichigo's current boss, and brother to his girlfriend, Byakuya had never come over to their house. Hisana on the other hand, had visited on several occasions, and was much kinder than Byakuya (and sometimes Rukia), so he didn't mind her company. She was pretty cool actually.

"Nii-san! Hisana!" Rukia cried as she walked into the living room. Hisana gave her sister a hug.

"I'm so glad you two came." Rukia said, giving Byakuya a grin. Byakuya only nodded in response, and Ichigo wondered if the stories Rukia told Ichigo about Byakuya playing games and actually being…brotherly while growing up were true…

"I see you've cleaned up the house nicely. You didn't have to do that." Hisana mumbled, looking around the house. Rukia shook her head.

"Ichigo, why don't I introduce my siblings to your family, and you make the lemonade." Rukia suggested. If there weren't a ton of people in the room—scratch that, if Kuchiki Byakuya wasn't in the room, then Ichigo would have groaned loudly. Then again, did he really want to introduce Rukia's pretty much calm family, to his over the top and crazy one? No, he didn't.

So, Ichigo went into the kitchen, getting all the ingredients ready for the lemonade, which he still denied he loved. The strawberry lemonade was easy to make. Just blend water, some lemonade mix, and a few strawberries together to make it. Then, add the right amount of sugar, and it's done. Simplest thing on the planet.

Ichigo joined everyone else in the living room following, sitting next to Rukia awkwardly. He could feel Byakuya glancing at him, which made him a little edgy. When Rukia and Ichigo both quit Seireitei Inc., they had no idea of what they were going to do exactly. Finding a job was obvious, but where, and what could they do about Ichimaru Gin?

It had been a huge mess, let alone Rukia wanting to be with Hisana as much as possible. To their luck, Byakuya took them both in. Rukia actually had a position higher than Ichigo at first, because apparently Byakuya had found out about how Ichigo punched Ichimaru Gin, and Ichigo, nor Rukia, felt like explaining why.

Hitsugaya and Hinamori came minutes later.

"Sorry we're late!" Hinamori cried as she walked in the door, giving Rukia a good hug. Hitsugaya walked in behind him, hands shoved in his pockets.

"How are you Hitsugaya-san? How's Seireitei?" Rukia asked, Ichigo creeping up behind her.

"Well technically its still HM Corporations until everything is finalized, but things are good." Hitsugaya replied. Rukia grinned at them.

"So it's true then, about Aizen and Ichimaru resigning?" Ichigo asked. He had heard all sorts of rumors, but nothing he didn't actually believe. Hitsugaya sighed.

"I wouldn't call it resigning, because technically they were going to lose their jobs anyways due to the huge scandal they caused. Lucky for them, Urahara Yoruichi stepped in just in time, and bought the company back before things got really bad. Honestly, I'm surprised they lasted this long." Hitsugaya finished.

"Aizen-san deserves what's coming to him, as does Ichimaru-san." Hinamori said. Hitsugaya took her hand when she had a saddened expression.

"Urahara…Yoruichi? Did she get married or something?" Rukia asked. Hitsugaya turned his attention back to Rukia.

"Yes, just a month ago to a man named Urahara Kisuke. He's the son of another company leader."

Ichigo smirked. "I still remember hearing about Yamamoto-san never really being sick. I had a feeling Yamamoto-san was never sick, and hey, I'd probably give up my position as head boss too if I were offered as much money from Aizen-san and Ichimaru-san as he was all those months ago."

Rukia chuckled. "Not if you knew who would be taking over the corporation." Rukia replied sharply. Ichigo scratched his head. The door knocked again.

"I'll get it Rukia." Ichigo said. Rukia smiled at him and turned away with Hinamori and Hitsugaya.

"Oi Ichigo-san, how are you?" Renji asked as he and Inoue stepped into the doorway, hand in hand.

"Kurosaki-san, thank you for inviting us." Inoue said kindly. Ichigo nodded at them.

"It's not problem, really." Ichigo replied. Everyone had finally arrived, and Ichigo still feared what was to come. Hopefully the next hour or so would go by…peacefully, though with Isshin in the house, that would be far from easy.

Since there wasn't very much room, Rukia sat on the arm of the couch next to Hisana, while Ichigo sat next to Yuzu.

"What's really going on Ichi-nii?" Yuzu whispered next to Ichigo as everyone began chatting together.

"Nothing, er, you'll see." He replied. Ichigo and Rukia had invited them over for a reason, and honestly, he was scared of everyone's reaction, especially Byakuya's. They had several reasons actually.

"How do you feel Hisana?" Rukia asked. Hisana smiled.

"I'm doing much better. The doctors still want me coming in every two months just to for check-ups, but the cancer is 100 percent gone." Hisana replied. Rukia gave her sister a small hug.

"I'm so glad Hisana. You're so lucky they caught it early enough." Rukia replied. Ichigo smiled from his spot. A lot had changed in the past eight months, but he felt it was for the better. He was still dating Rukia, the girl he loved. His two ex-bosses he hated were going to be fired, and probably never get a good job ever again. Rukia's sister was much healthier, and, Ichigo stopped. He knew what would come next.

Ichigo stood from the couch and moved next to Rukia. "Do you think we should tell them now?" Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded, taking Ichigo's hand in hers. He kissed her on the cheek and stayed next to her.

"You guys are all probably wondering why we invited you here, and well, it's because we have a couple of things to announce." Rukia said, smiling at everyone. Ichigo couldn't help but gulp once he saw Byakuya's glare. Honestly, why did he have to be invited…

"Come on Ichigo, tell us!" Karin called out with a glare. Ichigo sighed.

"I'll say the first one ok?" Rukia whispered to Ichigo.

"How come you get the easy one?" He asked. Rukia didn't reply as she turned back to everyone.

"Ichigo and I are going to start our own business." Rukia said proudly. Everyone awed and gasped, except for Byakuya, who looked somehow even more irritated than before.

"That's great Rukia." Renji said.

"If you need any employees, I would love to transfer!" Inoue beamed.

Rukia chuckled lightly. "We've saved up some money for it, and we've gotten the loans approved."

"What will you be selling?" Byakuya asked. The room suddenly fell quiet for some reason, and Ichigo figured he wasn't the only one intimated by Byakuya.

"Well…to put it quite simple…food." Rukia replied. The room was still very quiet.

"We're gonna open a restaurant." Ichigo replied. Inoue clapped her hands together.

"That's just wonderful! I'm so happy for you two!" Inoue cried. Everyone finally smiled and congratulated them.

"But why a restaurant Ichi-ii?" Yuzu asked. Ichigo and Rukia glanced at each other.

"We put a lot of thought into it, and decided that our best bet would be to open a restaurant. It is different from the corporation world that we are used to, but I think the change will be good. Rukia and I both majored in business in college, so we will be fine." Ichigo replied.

"Do you know what the restaurant is going to be called?" Hinamori asked.

Rukia and Ichigo both shook their heads. "We're still thinking of ideas, and what types of food to make."

"You should call the restaurant Isshin's Place!" Isshin suddenly cut in. Ichigo sighed.

"Why would we call it that?" Ichigo asked, glaring at his father.

"Because my son, I was the one that raised you, so you should pay your father some respect!" Isshin said back. Ichigo shook his head.

"I wouldn't name our restaurant after you if I died a thousand painful deaths." Ichigo replied. Isshin laughed.

"Don't be so silly Ichigo!" Isshin sang. Ichigo wasn't joking…

"We still have a lot of things we need to work on, but we decided to go ahead and tell you guys." Rukia said.

"So, is that all then?" Karin asked. Yuzu elbowed her in the side. "That's rude Karin." Yuzu whispered to her.

Ichigo looked down at Rukia to see another smile on her face. She'd been smiling more than usual for the past week or so, and he had the feeling he knew why. He gave her one last look before speaking.

"No, that isn't all, we have one more announcement to make." Ichigo said. Everyone perked up.

"Rukia and I are getting married." Ichigo replied, and raised Rukia's hand to show them the ring. She had to sneak it on while they were talking earlier so no one would notice.

All the girls fled up to Rukia, grabbing her hand. "Rukia! It's gorgeous!" Hinamori cried.

"I knew you two would get married, do you still have that wedding invitation idea from all those months back?" Yuzu asked Rukia. Ichigo watched from the side.

"Rukia, I can't believe my little sis is getting married!" Hisana said, hugging Rukia.

"I'm only younger by like...eight minutes." Rukia mumbled back. Ichigo smiled and scooted away from the woman who continued to bombard Rukia with questions.

"Finally, my son is getting married." Isshin said as he took a seat on the couch next to Ichigo.

"It took you long enough." Isshin said with a grin. Ichigo rolled her his eyes.

"Well sorry, we can't all rush into getting married like you did with mom. How old were you again when you married her?" Ichigo asked.

"Nineteen." Isshin replied. Ichigo shook his head.

"That's young Pops, real young. I'm only 26, it's not that old." Ichigo shot back. Isshin laughed.

"Just make sure you make up the time by giving me plenty of grandchildren." Isshin said, slapping Ichigo's back rather forcefully.

"I think it's time for you to leave." Ichigo muttered, glaring at his father.

"Well that's no way to treat a guest!" Isshin cried. Ichigo turned away from his father, ignoring the man completely.

"That's great that you're making a restaurant. If you need any help with anything, do let me know." Renji said next to him. Ichigo nodded.

"Will do Renji-san." Ichigo replied. Rukia finally made her way from the all the girls, and sat down between Renji and Ichigo.

Byakuya stood from the couch and moved next to Hisana.

"You're leaving already?" Rukia asked, standing to walk next to them. Hisana frowned.

"Nii-san has to get back to work, and I have to leave on my flight in a few hours. I'm sorry Rukia." Hisana said. Rukia gave them both a hug.

"Thanks for coming Nii-san." Rukia said as she smiled at Byakuya.

"Bye Ichigo-san!" Hisana called. Ichigo waved back, and couldn't ignore the death glare that Byakuya sent to Ichigo. Ichigo and Rukia had told Byakuya about how they wanted to create their own business, because technically they worked for him, and it would be rude to not say anything.

It would still be a little while before their restaurant actually opened, so they would be at Zangetsu Corp. a little bit longer, and Ichigo had the feeling he would be getting a cold glare for the next few months until the actual wedding.

Another hour passed, and everyone began leaving.

"I'm so happy for you two." Hinamori said, giving Rukia a hug goodbye.

"Yes, take care Rukia-san, and don't hesitate to call if you have any questions." Hitsugaya said, standing close to Hinamori. Ichigo knew Rukia was happy for the two, as Rukia told him about what Aizen did to Hinamori. The next two to leave were Inoue and Renji.

"Let us know as soon as possible when the wedding is alright?" Inoue asked.

"We'll send out invitations and everything, don't worry." Rukia replied, hugging Inoue back. Renji turned to Ichigo.

"Take good care of her." Renji said. Ichigo sensed some sort of threat in his statement, and nodded.

"Bye guys!" Rukia shouted as the four left. Ichigo's family didn't leave for another hour.

"Can I help plan the wedding?" Yuzu asked. Everyone was sitting on the couches.

"Of course you can." Rukia replied. Yuzu grinned widely.

"Well we better get going Yuzu and Karin, we have a lot of stuff to do today." Isshin said as he rose to his feet.

"What do we have to do exactly?" Karin asked as she glared at her father.

"I need help cleaning out the clinic, and since you are both still living at home, you can help." Isshin replied.

"Why are you being so mean?" Yuzu asked. Isshin smiled.

"If you think I'm being mean right now, then you should have seen what I made your brother do growing up." Isshin sighed. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"It's true, you guys got off lucky." Ichigo mumbled, walking them to the door.

"Thanks for inviting us, and don't hesitate to invite us again, although we'll just show up unannounced anyways!" Isshin called as they left the house.

"Hey Yuzu, have you seen my rainbow tie? I can't find it?" Ichigo heard Isshin ask as they left the house.

"Uh…no dad. I um…I don't actually. Oh wait, you know what? I think I accidentally threw it in the fireplace last week, sorry!" Yuzu replied sweetly.

"Noo!" Isshin cried. Ichigo chuckled as he closed the door.

"What's so funny?" Rukia asked. Her hands were folded across her chest. Ichigo walked slowly towards her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Nothing really, just my family." Ichigo replied, kissing her head. Rukia leaned her head against his chest.

"You, Kurosaki Ichigo, are very lucky." Rukia suddenly said.

"How do you figure that?" Ichigo asked. Rukia pulled away and pointed at her ring.

"Nobody noticed." Rukia said. Ichigo was still dumbfounded.

"Noticed what exactly?" He asked. Rukia sighed and pulled her ring off.

"Remember how you added the word Cinderella to my ring, and the idiot at the jewelry place spelled it as Cinderello instead, and refused to correct it?" Rukia asked.

"Oh that, what's your point?" Ichigo asked. Sometimes Rukia took forever to explain things.

"Idiot, nobody noticed it was spelled wrong!" Rukia nearly shouted. Ichigo smiled.

"Well that's great then, Cinderello." Ichigo said playfully, grabbing Rukia's wrist and pulling her close again.

"The day went better than planned." Ichigo mumbled.

"Even though everyone left after only a few hours." Rukia replied, a hint of bitterness in her voice. Ichigo cupped Rukia's face with his hands, staring down at her.

"So what, that just gives us more time to ourselves." Ichigo whispered, and lowered his lips to hers. It didn't matter where they were, or what they were doing, Ichigo never got sick of kissing Rukia. There was something about her lips that he was obsessed with, or maybe it was just Rukia that he was obsessed with.

He would never forget her lips that he kissed almost a year ago. He would never forget that night. Ichigo would never admit it to Rukia of course, who would probably tease him for a century for sounding so sensitive, but really, it was true.

Ichigo lied all those months ago when they went to the diner for their first date. He had said to her that he hadn't remembered anything, but it was wrong.

He remembered every detail, everything word for word.

Ichigo was going to marry Rukia, because he loved her.

"Ichigo?" Rukia suddenly asked after they pulled away.

"Yah?" He asked in a whisper.

"I love you." She said, a smile on her beautiful face. They didn't say the words too often to one another, so it was nice to hear them, even though Ichigo knew Rukia did.

He kissed her deeply, lifting Rukia up into his arms. It wasn't even four o'clock in the afternoon and they were already making out wildly.

"I love you too." Ichigo whispered back. Rukia kept her arms around him. It seemed like they could never get enough of each other, and Ichigo supposed that came with everything they went through. Seireitei Inc. had taught him a lot of things.

He learned how to be more responsible, and make more decisions on his own. He got much better at timing when things needed to get done, and when things should be scheduled.

And most importantly, Seireitei Inc., no matter how much he hated it in the end, taught him how to fall in love. A cheesy thing for Kurosaki Ichigo to think of, but he couldn't deny that it was true.

When Ichigo set Rukia down, he took off his mother's ring, and glanced at it.

"What are you doing?" Rukia asked.

"I just figured something out Rukia." Ichigo said. Rukia looked at him curiously.

"What?" She asked. He smirked.

"Remember that time I lost my ring, and you fainted right after I announced I lost it to everyone?" Ichigo asked. Rukia nodded.

"It's because you realized it was me that kissed you, didn't you?" Ichigo asked. Rukia looking extremely embarrassed gave him her answer. She had explained to him about how she suspected it was him because of his ring, but she left the fainting part out.

"You really didn't like me very much when we first met did you?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia laughed. "Honestly? I couldn't _stand_ you."

**THE END**

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**A/N:** That's it everyone…the end…to Hierarchy…FOREVER!! Haha, but yes, it is the end. I hope you enjoyed this whole story (and the epilogue too tehe). Surprised that Ichigo and Rukia are opening up a restaurant of all things? Well, if you don't like it, I don't care. I thought it sounded cute for them to open a restaurant, so yah!

Anyways…

I want to thank EACH and EVERY person that reviewed, and anyone who added this story to their FAVORITES or ALERTS. Seriously…163 favorites and alerts…that's awesome!!! (Maybe I'll get some more!) This story was definitely my biggest challenge, with the length and everything, so I hope you read my future fics on here, and maybe read any other stories of mine you haven't read.

As a last request…I beg you….

REVIEW! I LOVE YOU SOOO MUCH! THANKS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL SUPPORT!!

PS: Check out my new story called **Unprepared Battles** k? It's IchiRuki!!


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